Longwave radiation is a crucial factor affecting human thermal comfort and thermal stress, especially in outdoor spaces in summer, owing to the vast effect of longwave radiation emitted from high-heated asphalt roads, building walls, and automobiles. Although controlling the longwave radiation environment to improve thermal comfort in summer is crucial, the prediction of the longwave radiation environment is frequently conducted only at the assessment stage of the final proposal because of the high computational cost of radiation calculations and unsteady heat balance analysis considering multiple reflections. This is a significant constraint for the design of urban and architectural environments. A previous study proposed a method to rapidly estimate the longwave radiation environment based on a point-by-point method with longwave radiation intensity distributions of the heat sources. To use this method, 3D models of the geographical objects in urban areas, such as buildings and trees, must be accurately generated, and these models should have information on the longwave radiation emitted in each direction from each object. However, no specific examples of a 3D model and longwave radiation intensity distribution have been presented. In this study, a 3D modeling method for geographical objects in urban areas with longwave radiation information based on drones and photogrammetric techniques was utilized. Moreover, a 3D model of a small-scale building was generated. A longwave radiation intensity distribution was produced for the building. Based on the distribution data, the directional characteristics of longwave radiation were discussed, and the availability of the proposed method was assessed.

This study investigates how Karamay, a typical mining city in Northwest China, has expanded and evolved over the last three decades (1994–2021) with a special study area of the oil production “townships” which fully expressed the characteristics of the scattered spatial pattern of oil cities, by using remote sensing (RS) images and geographical information system (GIS) spatial analyses. The expansion rate and urbanization development index, spatial orientation, and urban compactness are used to discuss the expansion features. The results indicate that Karamay city has continued to expand in the past 30 years, and there were two stages of urban expansion regarding expansion orientation. During the expansion, there was a trend toward more urban compactness. Karamay’s urban space has gradually evolved from the original scattered distribution of townships to functionally concentrated urban areas. Socioeconomic factors and multilevel policies were the main factors influencing urban expansion. Suggested strategies for the future development of oil cities in China were given accordingly. Two main innovative points are presented in this paper. First, a unique perspective was given on spatial changes in oil townships to better capture how industrial activities influence the urban expansion of oil cities, which has not been found in other studies. Second, this study is the first to combine the urban expansion process with the changing of scattered spatial characteristics of cities, which has reference significance for the sustainable development of these types of cities and contributes to the diversity of case backgrounds for discussing the possibility of compact urban growth.

The Eaves Gallery (EG) along the street as a form of Chinese traditional dwelling was special architecture form for preventing pedestrians from rains and snows while walking through or shopping which has played important roles in the ancient commercial activities. In the past, the studies about EG focused on architectural history, style, evolution in the separated specific local area. It helped the promotion of social attention to EG for protection and renewal. However, the protection and renewal conditions of EG are different in various regions of China. Few studies have done to compare and overview the characteristics of EG in these various regions. In this study, typical EG along the streets in Hubei, Bashu, Jiangzhe along Yangtze River regions from east to west of China were taken as case studies and are explicated based on the comparison and analyzing field distribution mode, space combination, spatial scale, and function. Thus, the spatial functional characteristics of EG in these three regions are divided into unitary type, conversion type and mixed type. The outcome will serve as a comparative basis for the existential form and spatial characteristics of extant traditional EG accompanied by optimum protection and renewal policy discussion in the future.