As Zonas Climáticas Locais da Cidade de João Pessoa, Paraíba

Abstract

This study aims to characterize the Local Climate Zones (LCZs) of the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba. The classification is based on the methodology proposed by Stewart and Oke (2012), operationalized through the WUDAPT (World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools) platform. The research focuses on urban morphological analysis, prioritizing physical and geometric surface parameters, without incorporating direct atmospheric variables. The adopted methodology involved identifying urban geometry, calculating morphological parameters, analyzing the values according to the predefined ranges for ZCL classes, and generating the classification map for the municipality. The resulting ZCL map, with an accuracy of 0.67, demonstrated the effectiveness of the methodology in the local urban context. The study also examined the city’s urban expansion and the morphological characteristics of representative neighborhoods, highlighting the spatial heterogeneity between compact central areas and coastal zones subject to building restrictions. The results reinforce the applicability of the ZCL approach as a tool to understand urban thermal dynamics and to support urban planning aimed at mitigating microclimatic impacts.