Comparing relationships between urban heat exposure, ecological structure, and socio-economic patterns in Beijing and New York City.

• A new approach to examine ecological structure together with heat exposure and social vulnerability assessment. • >50% of summer days were exposed to cautious conditions for health in Beijing and NYC. • Higher heat risk was closely correlated with higher population density and elderly in Beijing, but with people below poverty in NYC. • Coverage, spatial configuration and quality of UG all affect its cooling effect, but their relative importance differed by cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]