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Sustainability
Volume 17
Issue 22
10.3390/su172210310
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Article

Quantifying the Scaling Effects of Urban Green Infrastructure on Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Dynamics: Insights from a Multi-Site Evaluation in Athens, Greece

by
Negin Bani Khalifi
1,*,
Kleio Platymesi
2,
Stavros Vlachos
2,
Thomas Bartzanas
1 and
Dafni Despoina Avgoustaki
1
1
Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece
2
Environmental Monitoring Department, Envirometrics—Technical Consultants S.A, 3 Kodrou St., Chalandri, 152 32 Athens, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10310; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210310
Submission received: 6 October 2025 / Revised: 9 November 2025 / Accepted: 13 November 2025 / Published: 18 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particle Matter Diminishing Solutions and Strategies for Air Polluted Cities)
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Abstract

Urban green infrastructure (GI) provides a promising nature-based solution to mitigate urban air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM), yet its quantifiable impacts across diverse urban settings remain insufficiently explored. This study investigates pollutant dynamics in Athens, Greece, a Mediterranean megacity characterized by high anthropogenic emissions and sparse green cover. A two-week monitoring campaign was conducted at four urban locations with vegetation density ranging from 5% to 100%. Concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO2, O3, and VOCs were measured and analyzed using statistical approaches including ANOVA, ANCOVA, and regression models to normalize meteorological influences. Results showed consistent decreases in primary pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, VOCs, CO2) with increasing vegetation cover, while O3 exhibited the expected inverse pattern due to reduced NO titration. Diurnal analyses revealed sharp peaks in PM and other pollutants during morning and evening rush hours in low vegetation corridors, contrasted with flatter profiles in greener sites. These findings demonstrate that even modest increases in green cover can dampen traffic-related pollution surges, reduce daily variability, and lower human exposure. The study highlights GI as a scalable and cost-effective strategy for particulate matter reduction and sustainable urban air quality improvement.
Keywords: green infrastructure; urban air pollution; air quality improvement; atmospheric pollutants; traffic related emissions; particulate matter; sustainable urban planning; Athens; Greece green infrastructure; urban air pollution; air quality improvement; atmospheric pollutants; traffic related emissions; particulate matter; sustainable urban planning; Athens; Greece

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MDPI and ACS Style

Bani Khalifi, N.; Platymesi, K.; Vlachos, S.; Bartzanas, T.; Avgoustaki, D.D. Quantifying the Scaling Effects of Urban Green Infrastructure on Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Dynamics: Insights from a Multi-Site Evaluation in Athens, Greece. Sustainability 2025, 17, 10310. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210310

AMA Style

Bani Khalifi N, Platymesi K, Vlachos S, Bartzanas T, Avgoustaki DD. Quantifying the Scaling Effects of Urban Green Infrastructure on Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Dynamics: Insights from a Multi-Site Evaluation in Athens, Greece. Sustainability. 2025; 17(22):10310. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210310

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bani Khalifi, Negin, Kleio Platymesi, Stavros Vlachos, Thomas Bartzanas, and Dafni Despoina Avgoustaki. 2025. "Quantifying the Scaling Effects of Urban Green Infrastructure on Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Dynamics: Insights from a Multi-Site Evaluation in Athens, Greece" Sustainability 17, no. 22: 10310. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210310

APA Style

Bani Khalifi, N., Platymesi, K., Vlachos, S., Bartzanas, T., & Avgoustaki, D. D. (2025). Quantifying the Scaling Effects of Urban Green Infrastructure on Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Dynamics: Insights from a Multi-Site Evaluation in Athens, Greece. Sustainability, 17(22), 10310. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210310

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