Monitoring the dynamics of land surface temperature (LST) in this rapid urbanization period is crucial for developing, smart and sustainable cities. Considering this, the present study employs Landsat satellite imagery covering the period from 1993 to 2023 to examine Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) indices in Lucknow city, with a specific emphasis on NDBI, NDBaI, NDVI and MNDWI. Upon analysing decadal trends, we observe a significant increase in developed areas, which coincides with the expansion of metropolitan areas towards the outside. The extent of fallow/bare land initially rises, then decreases as a result of urban expansion. Water bodies exhibit increase until 2003, then experiencing depletion in the vicinity of the ancient city and extension towards the northeast. An examination of LST indicates that urbanised and fallow fields experience higher temperatures. The results of the correlation study reveal positive relationships between NDBI/NDBaI and LST, while inverse relationships are observed between NDVI/MNDWI and LST. The introduction of Normalised LST Zones focuses on the alterations in LST distribution over a span of 30 years. The findings provide valuable insights into the dynamic transformation of Lucknow City’s environment, encompassing urbanisation, environmental changes and the effects of human activities. The present study considers the ‘SDG 11’ for the fostering sustainable and resilient urban development for the benefit of present and future generations by developing smart and liveable cities.