Publications

O'Malley, C; Kikumoto, H (2021). An investigation into the relationship between remotely sensed land surface temperatures and heat stroke incident rates in the Tokyo Prefecture 2010-2019. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY, 71, 102988.

Abstract
This study aims to utilise remotely sensed data to investigate the connection between monthly urban and rural land surface temperatures (LST) and heat stroke incident rates (HSIR) in Tokyo Prefecture. A ward, city, town, and village (WCTV) spatial comparative analysis and a categorical land type collective correlation analysis identified general trends of urban LSTs demonstrating a stronger correlation with HSIRs than rural LSTs. Normalised categorical land type data analysis results show that urban LSTs have a stronger correlation with HSIRs than rural LSTs, with R2 values of 0.59, 0.70, 0.78, and 0.85, for Rural, Sub-rural, Urban, and City Centre, respectively. LSTs cannot solely account for HSIR variation; however, urban LSTs are more influential in HSIR variation than rural LSTs which shows the usefulness of urban LSTs for urban heat island (UHI) and HSIR studies as an independent variable or part of a holistic assessment. Results also highlighted the counterintuitive nature of the relationship between LSTs and HSIRs with increased LSTs and UHI effects not always equating to higher HSIRs. Other factors which contribute to explaining this discrepancy while also being highlighted as significant for HSIR management were identified as working environments, building quality, density and height, elderly populations, and waterways.

DOI:
10.1016/j.scs.2021.102988

ISSN:
2210-6707