The spatial pattern of Weizi settlements features distinct regional characteristics. Moreover, it contains profound wisdom in terms of traditional construction; therefore, studies on its association with the microclimate have important implications for improving the quality of human settlements. In the present study, Guanweizi Village in the Xinyang City of Henan Province was used as an example to analyze and evaluate the thermal comfort of green spaces. The impact of peripheral water bodies on the thermal comfort of outdoor green spaces in the settlement was studied, and the association between the components of outdoor green spaces and physiological equivalent temperature as an indicator of thermal comfort was explored. Further, factors negatively affecting the thermal comfort of green spaces were analyzed through the grid method. Thermal comfort in the Weizi settlement is somewhat correlated with the coverage of water bodies, roads, soil, greening, and buildings. Increasing the water area and creating multi-level greening spaces are effective measures to improve the thermal comfort of green spaces in the settlement. Our findings provide a theoretical basis and a pioneering example for future practices of environment design for human settlements.

Regional climate, site planning, and architectural design are important factors that affect the external spatial environment of buildings[1]. Creating a comfortable microclimate environment has always been one of the basic goals of architecture, and improving the microclimate environment on campus can enhance the overall comfort of the campus[2]. This article takes Haikou Experimental School, an affiliated high school of Renmin University of China, as an example. By using computer simulation methods, it is hoped that reasonable planning and design can be carried out in terms of site planning, external space layout of buildings, and details of enclosure structures, in order to create a pleasant campus external space environment, which can not only save energy and reduce carbon, but also improve the comfort of teachers and students in the campus external space.

Against the backdrop of rapid urbanization and climate change, energy burden inequity arises between existing and new residential buildings due to generational differences in building envelopes. This study develops a demand-side energy burden equity assessment framework based on energy simulations of typical existing and new apartments in representative cities across China’s five major climate zones. The framework integrates multi-climate conditions, long-term evolution under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, and adaptable retrofit implications. Results indicate that demand-side energy burden inequity is widespread but structurally heterogeneous across climate zones, with the largest disparity observed in heating-dominated regions (up to 95.69 kWh/m² in Harbin). Under future warming, three scaling pathways emerge: convergence in heating-dominated regions (up to −27%), divergence in cooling-dominated and mixed regions (up to +382%), and offsetting effects driven by heating–cooling structural shifts in cold regions (up to −5%). Retrofit analysis shows that combined envelope upgrades achieve substantial inequity reduction (88–152%), though with diminishing marginal returns, while single targeted measures already yield high benefits in cooling-dominated and mild regions (74% and 83%, respectively). The findings provide differentiated and forward-looking evidence to support equity-oriented interventions in urban residential retrofitting and policy design.

The sustainable renewal of existing university student dormitories requires effective identification of occupant-perceived improvement needs to support targeted interventions and efficient resource allocation. This study develops a renewal need prioritization framework by integrating explainable machine learning and impact-asymmetry analysis (IAA). Based on 1507 valid questionnaires from 10 campuses of seven universities in Guangdong Province, an XGBoost-SHAP model was used to identify key environmental attributes influencing overall satisfaction, followed by IAA to examine their asymmetric effects. The results show that: (1) 17 key attributes were identified from 42 indicators, of which 15 met the criteria for IAA classification and exhibited distinct asymmetric effects; (2) a five-level renewal need prioritization framework was established, with per capita usable area, bathroom type, storage space, study and discussion space, damp and mold prevention, and sound insulation identified as core renewal needs; and (3) improving residential unit comfort through spatial optimization, furniture configuration, and environmental enhancement is an important pathway for enhancing occupant well-being and the long-term adaptability of existing dormitory buildings. This study provides empirical evidence for prioritizing existing dormitory renewal and allocating limited resources more efficiently, contributing to the sustainability of existing university residential environments.