Linking Urban Park Accessibility to Urban Heat Islands and Cooling Equity: A Comparison Between Inland and Coastal Cities

Urban parks mitigate surface urban heat islands and provide cooling services, yet how accessibility shapes the distribution of these benefits in inland and coastal cities remains unclear. This study integrated ECOSTRESS land surface temperature data, landscape metrics, network-based accessibility, and population data to compare Jinan (an inland city) and Qingdao (a coastal city) within a cooling-service supply–demand framework. The main findings were as follows: (1) Daytime and nighttime surface urban heat island intensity (SUHII) exhibited more spatially continuous patterns in Jinan and more fragmented patterns in Qingdao. (2) In Jinan, SUHII increased by 0.548 °C per 5 min of walking time during the day and by 0.234 °C per 5 min at night (both p < 0.01). In Qingdao, the corresponding rates were 0.131 and 0.137 °C per 5 min, respectively (both p < 0.01). (3) Cooling-service deficits accounted for 14.2% of Jinan and 27.9% of Qingdao. (4) Park area (AREA) had a significant nonlinear association with LST in Jinan (p < 0.001) but not in Qingdao (p > 0.05). Increasing patch shape index (SHAPE) was associated with a nonlinear reduction in LST in Jinan, whereas this cooling association was weaker in Qingdao. These findings provide quantitative evidence for park planning that promotes cooling equity and climate resilience in inland and coastal cities.