A heat-network diagnostic framework for climate-responsive land-use planning: long-term evidence from the Seoul Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Extreme heat poses a critical challenge for urban land-use planning, yet most urban heat island studies remain focused on static hotspot mapping with limited planning integration. This study develops a structured heat-network diagnostic framework to examine how land-use change and policy interventions reshape long-term urban heat vulnerability. Using 30 years of Landsat-derived land surface temperature data (1994–2023) for the Seoul Metropolitan Area, a threefold expansion of surface urban heat islands was identified (358.29 to 1201.63 km2 between 1994–1998 and 1999–2003). Network analysis revealed north–south consolidation of thermal connectivity following Green Belt deregulation, while targeted Green–Blue Infrastructure interventions reduced local LST by 1.7–4.9 °C and fragmented dominant heat nodes. These findings demonstrate how long-term node–link configurations amplify or mitigate urban heat risk, and highlight the diagnostic relevance of heat-network analysis to inform climate-responsive land-use planning and targeted GBI deployment in rapidly urbanizing metropolitan contexts.