Open Access

ARTICLE

Evaluating the Nighttime Human Activity in Green Spaces among Three Major Urban Agglomerations in China Using Green Lighting Index

Pei Tan^1,2,3, Mingyang Lv^2,4,*, Huadong Guo^1,2,3,*, Changyong Dou^1,2, Xue Jin⁴, Wuhe Li⁴

1 Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100094, China
2 International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, Beijing, 100094, China
3 College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
4 Institute of Space Earth Science, Nanjing University, Suzhou, 215163, China

* Corresponding Authors: Mingyang Lv. Email: ; Huadong Guo. Email:

Revue Internationale de Géomatique 2025, 34, 169-185. https://doi.org/10.32604/rig.2025.063997

Received 31 January 2025; Accepted 03 March 2025; Issue published 09 April 2025

Abstract

Green space plays an important role in the sustainable urban development. This study proposes the Green Lighting Index (GLI), integrating nighttime light data from SDGSAT-1 and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Sentinel-2, to explore the nighttime human activity in green spaces across three major urban agglomerations in China: Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), and the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The findings reveal that, for most green spaces, the relationship between nighttime lighting and green spaces is predominantly exclusionary. However, a synergistic relationship is observed in some vibrant green spaces characterized by abundant nighttime lighting. This synergy is evident in high GLI levels, which are strongly positively correlated with per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This research underscores the importance of integrating nighttime perspectives into green space studies. We believe GLI could be used in the assessment of green space quality and contribute to the development of sustainable cities.

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Keywords

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