Neighborhood-level Shade Maps in Global Nine Cities

This dataset contains the data generated for the paper "Global patterns of inequality in pedestrian shade provision". Relevant code can be found in: https://github.com/carolgxy/Shade-inequality. More information related to shade map generatetion please refer to: https://github.com/lukasbeuster/slim_shady. Paper title: Global patterns of inequality in pedestrian shade provision Abstract: Shade provision is the most effective strategy for mitigating heat in cities; yet its distribution remains highly uneven. Using high-resolution simulations of shade casting from buildings and trees on pedestrian areas, combined with socioeconomic data at the neighbourhood level, we assess shade availability across nine climatically and geographically diverse cities: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Belem, Boston, Hong Kong, Milan, Rio de Janeiro, Stockholm, and Sydney. Our results reveal a consistent pattern of spatial and socioeconomic inequality: lower-income and peripheral neighbourhoods tend to receive significantly less shade on sidewalks, despite facing greater heat vulnerability. Notably, inequality persists even in cities with high overall shade coverage, where wealthier areas benefit from disproportionate abundance. By focusing on public pedestrian spaces, rather than general coverage, this study highlights the importance of measuring heat burden through the lens of human experience. We call for equity-centred adaptation strategies that target shade provision where it is most needed, particularly in underserved and exposed communities. Researchers should cite this dataset and the relevant paper when using it in publications or presentations. Detailed data collection and processing can be found in the relevant published paper in Nature Communications: Gu, X., Beuster, L., Liu, X., van Leeuwen, E., Venverloo, T., & Duarte, F. (2026). Global patterns of inequality in pedestrian shade provision. Nature Communications. For further information or questions regarding the dataset, don't hesitate to get in touch with the corresponding author.