Urban ventilation network model: A case study of the core zone of capital function in Beijing metropolitan area

China has experienced extreme urban heat island effects and air pollution associated with rapid urbanization. Optimizing urban ventilation environment could relieve these environmental problems. In this study, an Urban Ventilation Network Model (UVNM) was developed to explore the impact of urban morphology and building height on the urban ventilation condition. The study calculated the ventilation resistance coefficient of building height according to fluid mechanics, and then determined the least cost path among the air inlets and outlets considering the direction and frequency of wind. Eventually, corridors at several different levels of ventilation were extracted by classifying the line densities of least cost paths, which were effectively verified through land surface temperature retrieved from the Landsat Thematic Mapper. The new model is more scientific and convenient than traditional urban construction environmental assessment software in terms of data acquisition and hardware support. The results suggest that urban design based on urban morphology and building height and considering the direction and frequency of wind would be effective for optimizing ventilation to regulate urban environmental problems.