Urban Sci., Volume 9, Issue 5 (May 2025) – 45 articles

In the 21st century, there has been a concerted effort to undo the automobile-centric urban planning of the 20th century, which has resulted in degraded public spaces that deter citizen permanence. However, the perpetuation of quantitative-based methodologies, along with low public participation, has led to underused public spaces. To create more appealing spaces, the methods need to feature more public involvement. This article addresses this gap by implementing the Participatory Mobile Biosensing methodology. Participants were asked to walk along two high streets in Lisbon using biosensors and, in a later workshop, to interpret their biodata and co-create scenarios to improve their walking experience. The participants were able to identify the intangible and physical factors that affected their walk, as well as devise scenarios to address them. When the participants formulated their scenarios, they were also able to demonstrate several ideals that influenced their vision for the streets. The subsequent discussion focused on the relevance of this methodology to high streets and how participatory methods could further the study of walkability by incorporating subjective experiences in the creation of public spaces. Full article

Urban resilience is crucial in academic and policy discussions, particularly in balancing urban development and sustainability in both developed and developing countries. In developing nations, rising emissions and vulnerability challenge effective climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. Advances in Information and Communication Technologies offer significant opportunities despite challenges. The digital revolution is central to enhancing urban management, especially in smart cities. In light of this context, this paper aims to investigate the literature advancements of urban resilience to climate change in smart cities and conduct a multi-case study analysis of adaptation and mitigation strategies in Brazilian and German smart cities, demonstrating their efforts to enhance urban resilience to climate challenges. The research used two main methods: a bibliometric analysis to review literature on climate change, urban resilience, and smart cities, and case studies of urban resilience practices in 10 smart cities from Brazil and Germany. The literature review highlights the increase in research on this theme, identifying five thematic clusters that reveal relationships among study topics and suggest future research directions. The cases highlighted local initiatives in Brazilian and German smart cities to enhance urban resilience to climate pressures, revealing notable differences due to varying levels of development and investment. Full article

The global population is experiencing a remarkable demographic shift. The population pyramid of African countries looks very different from that of the West, with a youthful population forming the base of the African population, while the population of Western countries has a larger share of an aging population. A broader understanding of the various facets of urban growth in Africa is needed, including the demographic makeup and drivers of growth. However, inadequate attention has been paid to this aspect of urban change in research, even though this knowledge can aid development planning. Demographic concerns like the interconnections between development and population are important issues of national dialogues and debates. Research from Southern Africa has also found a prevalence of female-headed households in urban areas and predicts a rise in this trend. This study thus set out to explore the primary factor behind urban population growth and the extent of prevalence of female-headed households in African cities using Port Harcourt, Nigeria, as a case study. Quantitative research was conducted. The findings revealed that natural increase was largely responsible for urban growth, given the proportion of participants in the age group 18–40 born in the city. This group currently forms the large base of the African urban population. Results also showed that male-headed households were still dominant in Port Harcourt city. This study highlights the need for expansion of similar research in other cities to enable a more holistic understanding of the wider African urban population demographics and dynamics. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the associations between playground features and utilization. Following a cross-sectional study design, we assessed the features of 38 playgrounds using the Play Space Audit Tool (PSAT). Thereafter, we monitored the playground utilization by children (0–12 y) using a headcount approach during multiple site visits. Generalized Estimating Equations regression models were used to analyze the associations between the PSAT scores and playground utilization. Significant associations were found between the PSAT scores ‘overall’, ‘path’, and ‘play structure’ and playground utilization. For boys specifically, their playground usage was positively related to the scores ‘overall’, ‘general amenities’, and ‘play’. For girls, their playground usage was positively related to the scores ‘overall’, ‘path’, and ‘play structure’. In conclusion, the ‘overall’ and ‘play structure’ PSAT scores were robustly associated with higher playground utilization, and the associations for domain scores vary between boys and girls. The outcomes enforce that playgrounds of higher quality attract more children. Full article

The importance of cities hinges on how they connect with other cities globally, yet research has been lacking in the exploration of virtual linkages. This study takes Guangzhou and Shenzhen as samples to measure their virtual urban linkage with other cities in China. First, it improves the gravity model by considering the impact of distance on call intentions in the context of phone conversations. Second, it uses call detail record (CDR) data to measure urban linkage based on the enhanced gravity model. Lastly, it employs a more effective geodetector to analyze the driving factors. The results indicate the following: cities in the southeast exhibit significantly higher connectivity; Guangzhou’s linkage is more pronounced than Shenzhen’s; and the volume of import and export trade is a stronger indicator of urban linkage. The urban linkage measured through CDRs offers new insights into the study of urban linkage. Full article

This paper examines the various functions of urban parks in the city of Novi Sad (Serbia). This study’s respondents were landscape architecture students, and the methodology employed was a survey, which was subsequently analyzed using multiple statistical tests. This paper explores the different roles that urban parks in Novi Sad play, such as aesthetic, ecological, recreational, psychological, economic, and educational functions. The analysis also includes an assessment of the correlation between the scores for each function and visitors’ habits and behaviors (e.g., frequency and duration of visits). Together, these findings provide detailed insight into the current state of urban park functions in Novi Sad and highlight how these functions relate to visitors’ experiences. The results obtained are valuable for enhancing both the quality of park visits and the overall functionality of urban parks. This paper also provides recommendations for future research, including potential methodologies to be applied and directions for a more detailed assessment of ecological functions. Full article

Smart furniture (smart cities) can provide publicity, mobility services and local government communication, among many other services; however, its use for improving the quality of life of the elderly (extended IP-spaces concept) can be further researched. This paper describes the first step in a collaborative design of a smart city platform based on this concept. This design requires a layered design, as it includes architectonic, artistic, technological and social aspects. Participatory design (PD) and participatory action research (PAR) methodologies were selected to include the elderly in the design to ensure the acceptance and usability of the system. During this specific design process, three groups of elderly people from three geographic points of Spain were recruited. PD was applied to capture the users’ preferences and general specifications regarding the architectonic aspect of the project, while PAR was used to capture these groups’ quality-of-life needs, determine the initial acceptance of the project and define the initial activities to be realized for mitigating the detected needs. The application of these qualitative methodologies should produce a user-centric, valuable but local (specific) design. As more groups and towns will be involved, the new local designs will build a bigger set of validated solutions that potentially could be customized and reused for other contexts. Full article

Contemporary urban environments continuously transform and evolve due to rapid urbanisation and development pressures, putting historical and cultural heritage sites at risk. To cope with this, it is essential to frequently re-evaluate and redefine protective boundaries and strategies for developing them to reflect current and emerging urban patterns. Defining protection boundaries is an inherently complex task consisting of intricate and interrelated spatial, social, and cultural networks and elements. What is more, the data layers used to represent different dimensions of cities are diverse and generated by various sources. In order to make any decision capable of addressing this multifaceted problem, it is essential to employ a thorough decision-making framework capable of accounting for multiple criteria. In this study, a combination of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) offers a structured approach to managing the complexities of setting these protective zones. Despite their extensive use in diverse site selection contexts, applying AHP and GIS to determine urban protection boundaries remains underexplored. The method was explored and tested in a case study in North Cyprus. The proposed method systematically includes economic, architectural, environmental, social, and legal data layers, aiming to generate a more comprehensive model for developing protection boundaries tied to multidimensional and contextual complexities, as well as considering rapid urbanisation patterns. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on heritage preservation and sustainable urban development by providing an evidence-based analytical method for managing the evolving challenges of urban heritage protection. The results indicate that experts see social and environmental factors as the most significant, emphasising the significance of community engagement and ecological considerations in heritage conservation. Additionally, the study highlighted regulatory gaps, particularly in maintaining architectural compatibility within the historical context. These findings underscore the importance of integrating stakeholder perspectives and adjusting local regulations to enhance the resilience and effectiveness of heritage protection strategies. Full article

In low-demand areas, optimizing public transport operations requires strategies that go beyond infrastructure improvements. Among the various influencing factors, time wealth—the perceived freedom and flexibility in managing one’s time—emerges as a critical component in encouraging public transport use. Temporal factors like time cost and scheduling inconvenience often hinder usage, making time-related perceptions essential for effective and inclusive transport strategies. This study investigates time wealth as a component of perceived behavioral control in shaping public transport intention. Using empirical surveys in Japan, factor analysis and structural equation modeling identified three dimensions of time wealth and assessed their influence on behavioral intention. Results show that greater time wealth reduces the perceived difficulty of using public transport, thereby enhancing user intention. Positive attitudes and awareness support effective public transport interventions. While improving accessibility and convenience is important, addressing fare affordability is equally vital. A balanced approach that enhances both the experiential and financial aspects of public transport is crucial for maximizing its utilization. These findings highlight the need for integrated strategies that enhance both temporal and financial aspects to boost public transport use. Full article

Rapid urbanisation in Sub-Saharan Africa demands innovative land management strategies that promote sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban development. This study investigates the potential of land readjustment (LR) to foster neighbourhood-scale social–ecological urban resilience (SEUR) through a case study of the Nunga LR project in Kigali, Rwanda. Grounded in the social–ecological system (SES) theory and operationalised through the social–ecological land readjustment model for resilient neighbourhoods, the research evaluates LR practices against an integrated benchmark framework combining LR aspects, neighbourhood design standards, and resilience attributes. The study uses secondary data, project shapefiles, and key informant interviews to assess how Rwanda’s emerging LR model contributes to resilient neighbourhood development. Findings demonstrate strong community mobilisation and adaptive governance capacity. However, critical resilience dimensions—including modularity, green infrastructure integration, land-use diversity, and adaptive feedback mechanisms—were only partially operationalised. Consequently, while LR improved spatial formalisation and basic infrastructure provision, it fell short of creating a truly resilient, multifunctional neighbourhood ecosystem. These findings highlight the need to reframe LR from a purely technical land management tool into a systemic resilience-building mechanism. Policy recommendations include mandating green/blue infrastructure in LR plans, establishing innovative financing mechanisms, institutionalising adaptive monitoring, strengthening affordability safeguards, and promoting multifunctional spatial layouts. The study contributes to urban resilience and land governance scholarship by offering a context-sensitive, empirically tested model for integrating SEUR principles into LR practice in rapidly urbanising African cities. Future research should pursue longitudinal analyses and dynamics modelling of land readjustment impacts to deepen understanding of urban resilience pathways in the Global South. Full article

In many European cities, old urban centres, particularly historical centres, reveal significant limitations to the intervention of civil protection agents—namely, firefighters—in terms of their mobility and action in emergencies, thus conditioning their action. This article analyses the case of a Portuguese city (the city of Ílhavo), proposing possible solutions applicable to territories with these specificities. This study was developed with the support of a literature review and field work that accompanied the actions of the local fire department. The proposals include new technical solutions (such as underground dry pipeworks), measures regarding traffic restrictions, the adequacy of signage, and recommendations for training the population living in these areas to intervene in fire situations. This study was developed through monitoring several interventions by the local fire department in real emergencies, allowing for the identification of some existing limitations in its activity resulting from the specific characteristics of the old urban centre. Measures already adopted in other Portuguese cities to improve mobility and reduce the negative impact on firefighters’ work in historical centres are also mentioned. It is also recommended that all civil protection agents be closely involved in planning and designing these urban rehabilitation interventions when carrying them out in these areas. Full article

This research focuses on the impact of smart city technologies on urban tourism, specifically analyzing Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Vienna, while also considering implications for smart tourism development in Belgrade and other Serbian cities. The aim of the study was to examine how smart city technologies contribute to enhancing the efficiency, digital engagement, and sustainability of urban tourism. A representative sample of 1239 tourists was surveyed, with a balanced gender representation and a predominance of younger respondents, indicating that smart tourism initiatives should cater to tech-savvy travelers. The study employed a questionnaire with 31 statements ranked on a five-point Likert scale, and factor analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) identified three key dimensions: smart efficiency, smart travel, and digital enhancement. These factors highlight how smart technologies optimize urban mobility, enhance travel experiences, and improve tourist engagement. The research confirms the initial hypothesis that integrating smart city technologies enhances urban tourism efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, the study adopts a positivist epistemological approach, emphasizing empirical analysis and statistical validation to derive generalizable findings. The results provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to develop sustainable urban tourism strategies in Serbian cities. Full article

Understanding building energy demand is critical for addressing climate uncertainty challenges and ensuring sustainable urban growth. This study develops a building energy demand (BED) model to explore how climate variation and urban expansion affect residential and commercial space heating and cooling demands in Morocco for three scenarios, namely, 2005, 2018, and 2018 + 1.5 °C. The results show that coastal cities have lower heating and cooling needs due to the oceanic influence, while interior cities require significantly higher heating demand per-unit-floorspace. Between 2005 and 2018, urban growth increased total heating and cooling demand by 218.8 GWh, particularly in northern and coastal regions, despite per-unit-floorspace reductions in milder climates and improved building efficiency in 2018. Residential heating remains the dominant energy use, though commercial demand is significant in urban centers. Under the 2018 + 1.5 °C hypothetical scenario, heating demand across Morocco declines by 335.8 GWh compared to 2018, with urban areas amplifying this trend. Meanwhile, cooling demand increases slightly by 44.4 GWh, with major cities experiencing relative increases of up to 50%. These findings highlight a trade-off where reduced winter heating needs are partly offset by increased summer cooling demands in densely urbanized areas. The study identifies key urban hotspots for targeted interventions, emphasizing the need for energy-efficient building designs, climate-adaptive urban planning, and resilient energy management strategies to sustainably address shifting seasonal energy patterns. Full article

Setúbal Peninsula (SetPe) has played a critical role in Portugal’s industrial history, symbolizing economic growth in the 1960s and serving as the centre of the working-class movement during the Carnation Revolution. This study examines the impacts of deindustrialisation and integration into Global Network and Chain Structures (GNCS) on the region’s daily life and urban areas. Despite the decline in industrial employment and the challenges posed by abandoned industrial areas, the region has remained connected to GNCS through existing industrial facilities. The study utilised both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse these transformations and highlighted the region’s vulnerability in the face of these global processes. The findings suggest that integration into GNCS in SetPe has led to economic dependence on multinational companies, social and cultural decline, and challenges in urban redevelopment. Full article

Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of air pollution is critical for improving urban air quality. Advances in wireless sensor networks have made it possible to monitor air pollution across cities at higher spatiotemporal resolutions. The new spatial coverage allows the novel implementation of advanced statistical methods to detect spatially important, coherent patterns in environmental flows. In this study, we apply proper orthogonal decomposition to a spatial distribution derived from 34 particulate matter sensors, which collected data over 250 days across the Liverpool City Region in England, to identify a set of spatially orthogonal modes. The dominant mode exhibits a daily periodicity in the increases of particulate matter, with higher increases in residential areas interpreted as changes driven by daily commutes. The second mode highlights seasonal changes, and the third mode alludes to pollution transportation with simultaneous increases and decreases. In contrast with traditional time series and spatial analyses, proper orthogonal decomposition enables the elucidation of patterns that otherwise might remain hidden. Our findings highlight the benefits of urban wireless sensor networks and demonstrate the applicability of proper orthogonal decomposition in studying the movements of polluted areas and their correlations with meteorological variables and anthropogenic factors. Full article

This study models changes in land cover and land use in the intermediate city of Puerto Montt, Chile, up to 2050. Three distinct time periods—1988, 2005, and 2020—were used to examine Puerto Montt’s urban growth during these years. These periods were described using the Local Climate Zones (LCZ) technique. Urban growth scenarios were simulated using the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model. Using Machine Learning (ML) techniques, this model has been widely utilized to explain how urban growth patterns have evolved based on the dynamics that drive changes in land use and land cover. Three scenarios were developed for this study: Business-As-Usual (BAU) (S1), Urban-Regional Planning (S2), and Conservationist (S3). According to the findings, Puerto Montt is predicted to undergo morphological changes by 2050, shifting from rural areas primarily composed of woods and agricultural land to open, low-density, low-rise areas outside the municipal limits set by the Communal Regulatory Plans. According to this study, Puerto Montt’s relative entropy level was high, ranging from 0.87 to 0.96, with a maximum value of 1.00 by 2050. These findings are anticipated to provide planners and decision-makers with further knowledge on the territorial design of upcoming urban areas. Full article

Amid rapid urbanization and persistent food insecurity in Latin America, urban gardens have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional agriculture. This study evaluates the technical and economic efficiency of producing four vegetables (lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, and tomato) in urban and conventional systems in Puebla, Mexico. Using a stochastic frontier model, the analysis integrates key environmental costs, specifically, water-use efficiency and nutrient balance valuation, to assess the sustainability trade-offs. The results show that urban gardens achieve comparable efficiency to conventional systems while reducing water use by up to 66% and optimizing nutrient cycling. These findings support urban agroecological models as viable strategies for local food production and provide actionable insights for municipal policies aimed at enhancing urban food resilience and environmental performance. Full article

The concepts of equity and spatial justice may be relatively vague and therefore susceptible to different interpretations and metrics, leading to different evaluation perspectives. Thus, our central objective in this work is to explore the scientific production around these two concepts through the lens of transportation, focusing on their connections and interpretations. A mixed-approach analysis (network analysis and semi-systematic review) using Scopus, Web of Science, and Transportation Research International Documentation databases and VOSviewer software reveals that for transportation-related research, equity is more prominent than spatial justice. Accessibility emerges as a key concept for evaluating distributive issues in both contexts. The limited number of papers found may suggest either a gap in research or a mismatch between the terms within the field. Full article

It is known that bio-physical alterations in ecosystems change the relationships between people and their environments. The urban ecosystems cannot be managed without considering the role of green spaces. In Pakistan, many such eco-systems exist, regulated and monitored by well-established authorities. However, they do not have practical frameworks to manage them. In this context, this research examines the decline of the natural ecosystems of Lahore and the roles and responsibilities of the authorities towards this decline. This research employs both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data: questionnaires, interviews and satellite observations. Questionnaires administered by the researchers gathered information from the people taking care of these places and interviews with the people responsible for planning and managing the city ascertained the issues related to monitoring and maintenance of the green spaces. Satellite data provided information related to the changes in land use from 2010–2018, which indicated diminishing green spaces. The findings reveal extensive transformations in land use and a significant increase in built-up land, resulting from irregular and unmonitored expansion of the city. These indicate that the decline of the natural ecosystems of Lahore is a result of two failures of the authorities: ineffective implementation of policies and poor coordination among stakeholders. Weaknesses in the maintenance of the eco-systems and negligence in the monitoring systems have also contributed. This research therefore concludes that the poor monitoring system has led to the decline of the natural ecosystems and an increase in random and synthetic growth of the city of Lahore despite it having a well-established network and laws. Full article

Rapid urbanization in the Global South poses challenges to ecological integrity, cultural heritage, and equitable access to green infrastructure. This study evaluates the effectiveness of recent green infrastructure projects in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, including flagship parks and upgraded road corridors, through the lens of the Urban Nature Futures Framework (UNFF). To operationalize the UNFF’s three perspectives—Nature for Nature (NN), Nature for Society (NS), and Nature as Culture (NC)—a context-specific set of indicators was developed through the existing literature, global assessment frameworks, and stakeholder consultations. A mixed-methods approach, combining structured surveys with both qualitative and quantitative thematic analysis, was applied across four stakeholder groups: residents, park visitors, corridor users, and experts. The results indicate that while social benefits (NS) are widely recognized, ecological (NN) and cultural (NC) dimensions receive comparatively less emphasis. Regression analysis shows that education, employment, and green space use frequency significantly shape perceptions of NS and NC, while NN are more consistently shared across groups. This study demonstrates the practical value of the UNFF as an assessment tool and offers a replicable methodology for evaluating multifunctional green infrastructure. The findings underscore the need for more inclusive, biodiversity-positive, and culturally grounded urban renewal strategies. These insights are relevant for planners and policymakers aiming to foster equitable and resilient urban environments in rapidly growing cities. Full article

There is mounting evidence and concern that humanity is failing to equitably meet social needs while overshooting the Earth’s ecological boundaries. Efforts to monitor progress towards equitable urban sustainability have expanded significantly over the years; however, challenges remain in comprehensively assessing and comparing the progress made in different settings. To stimulate critical thinking and guide capacity-building efforts, we assessed the main dimensions and indicators used to monitor urban sustainability and equity in a selection of European cities. We analysed city reports to identify major recurring underlying themes, which we framed as guiding questions, and suggested areas for further development. The purpose was not to highlight the strengths and limitations of specific cities’ efforts. Our critical assessment identified several areas that require attention: the need for the more explicit use of theories or conceptual frameworks to select dimensions and indicators and to frame problems (and subsequently to guide intervention design); the standardisation of indicators; and improved data availability, reliability, and disaggregation to support data capturing, reporting, and comparability across settings. Despite meaningful progress, further efforts are needed to strengthen cities’ capacities to measure, monitor, and report on equitable urban sustainability. These efforts should be complemented with educational initiatives to foster the socio-cultural and behavioural changes necessary to achieve more equitable, sustainable, and healthy urban environments. Full article

With increasing concerns over climate change and air pollution, sustainable transportation has become a critical component of modern city planning. Bike-sharing systems have emerged as an eco-friendly alternative to motorized transport, contributing to energy conservation and emission reduction. To elaborate on bike-sharing’s contribution to urban sustainable development, this study conducts a quantitative analysis of its environmental benefits through a case study of the Bluebikes program in the Boston area, using a longitudinal dataset of 20.07 million bike trips from January 2015 to December 2024, with data between January 2020 and December 2021 excluded. A combination of Scheiner’s model and Multinomial Logit model was adopted to evaluate the substitution of Bluebikes trips, an optimized Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model was employed to predict future usage, while energy savings were calculated by estimating reductions in gasoline and diesel consumption. The findings reveal that during the analyzed period, Bluebikes trips saved 2616.44 tons of oil equivalent and reduced CO₂ and NO_X emissions by 7614.96 and 16.43 tons, respectively. Furthermore, based on the historical trends, it is forecasted that the Bluebikes program will annually save an average of 723.66 tons of oil equivalent and decrease CO₂ and NO_X emissions by 2422.65 and 4.52 tons between 2025 and 2027. The results highlight the substantial environmental impact of Bluebikes and support policies that encourage their usage. Full article

This article analyzes population movement patterns in the Vysočina Region, Czechia, using mobile network geolocation data. Geolocation data provide new insights into population movement and structure, capturing real-time fluctuations in population size at different times of day and days of the week. The article aims to contribute to a better understanding of spatiotemporal population dynamics and identify links between movement patterns and different types of areas. Key mobility trends, such as work commuting, seasonal migration related to second homes and tourism, and the influence of urbanization on movement patterns, are identified. A scaling approach for categorizing municipalities based on their characteristics is proposed and tested in a case study of Vysočina Region municipalities. Furthermore, a case study of various municipality types demonstrates the practical application of geolocation data in spatial planning. The results highlight the value of these data for spatial planning, enabling a better understanding of population needs and optimization of public services and infrastructure. Full article

(1) Green infrastructure, such as green roofs, is emerging as an important way to improve environmental quality and protect crucial ecosystem services in urban areas across the globe. However, limited data exist on the specific ecosystem services provided by green roofs, particularly regarding how these services evolve over time and under varying management regimes. (2) This study examines how management, age and other variables influence some key substrate features, such as decomposition and carbon storage, that drive ecosystem services provided by green roofs in 13 urban locations across three states in the Southeastern United States. Data were collected over 4 months from March to June 2024, using the teabag index and substrate nutrient sampling. (3) We identified several significant effects of green roof management, age and other variables on key drivers of ecosystem services, including decomposition rate, carbon storage, and nutrient composition. (4) Specifically, intensive management practices were associated with lower substrate decomposition rates, while irrigation, substrate additions and elevation had significant positive impacts on decomposition rates, the stabilization factor (carbon storage), organic matter and other nutrient levels. Overall, intensive management, which often involves higher costs, did not consistently enhance ecosystem service delivery and was associated with slight reductions in service provisions. Although further work is needed, this study is among few that have examined green roofs substrates in a statistically rigorous way. Full article

This study examines access to rental housing in the metropolitan area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, linking it to socio-economic inequalities and the increasing precarization. In recent years, housing affordability has worsened due to rising rents, stagnant wages, and speculative dynamics—particularly those linked to tourism and platform-based economies. Drawing on official data from the State Reference System for Rental Housing Prices (SERPAVI) and income statistics at the census tract level, this research quantifies housing affordability and spatial disparities through indicators such as economic effort rates. The analysis identifies patterns of exclusion and urban fragmentation, showing that large sectors of the population—especially those earning the minimum age—face severe barriers to accessing adequate housing. The findings highlight the insufficiency of current public policies and propose the expansion of social rental housing and stricter rental market regulation as necessary steps to ensure fairer urban conditions. Full article

Efforts to measure citizen Well-Being (WB) and integrate the results into policymaking have gained momentum globally. In this study, we evaluate the domains comprising WB indicators based on three dimensions—fulfillment, importance, and contribution to overall WB—to effectively apply these findings to policies and urban development strategies. An online survey of 1394 Japanese adults (630 women, 764 men) was conducted to analyze the rankings of the 24 domains (comprising 46 items) of the Liveable Well-being City indicator, a widely used framework in Japan, across these three dimensions. The analysis revealed that items in domains related to Life Environment ranked highest regarding fulfillment, whereas domains related to Living Authentically or Life Environment ranked highest in importance. Meanwhile, items in the domains associated with Community Relationships or Living Authentically tended to rank higher in contribution to overall WB; however, this was not statistically significant. These results suggest inconsistencies in evaluation across dimensions and highlight the necessity of incorporating three-dimensional evaluations into policymaking and policy improvement. Furthermore, the findings indicate that strategies targeting Community Relationships could be particularly effective in enhancing WB and providing actionable policy design and implementation guidance. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between neighbourhood walkability, recreational walking, and physical activity and well-being outcomes in Bangkok, Thailand. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 881 residents from 50 districts in Bangkok. The Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale-Abbreviated (NEWS-A) was employed to assess neighbourhood walkability and its association with recreational walking behaviour. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) and WHO-5 Well-Being Index were used to explore the links between recreational walking, physical activity, and well-being. The findings reveal that neighbourhood environment characteristics significantly influence recreational walking behaviour, with high-rise and planned neighbourhoods showing higher odds of recreational walking compared to unplanned neighbourhoods. Additionally, recreational walking was positively associated with both achieving sufficient physical activity and better well-being scores. These findings suggest that neighbourhood-level interventions aimed at promoting recreational walking could be effective strategies for encouraging physical activity and enhancing well-being in urban residents. The study recommends that targeted, neighbourhood-level interventions focused on creating supportive walking environments may be more effective in promoting health outcomes compared to broader city-wide urban design strategies. Our results also provide evidence-based support for shifting from tourism-centric to neighbourhood-focused walking infrastructure development in Bangkok. Full article

Integrating green spaces into urban designs and planning for ecosystem services has become vital; however, in creating these spaces, the growth phase is often overlooked. This study provides insight into the changing energy and carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes in a developing forest, “The Forestias” project in Thailand. The eddy covariance technique was applied to determine real-time surface energies and CO₂ fluxes from December 2021 to September 2023. The results suggest that under fast growing conditions of the green areas, the diurnal latent energy flux corresponded with the area gained. This effect was supported by increasing evapotranspiration through the byproduct of canopy gas exchange. Consequently, the influence of green areas on lowering the average ambient temperature compared with the urban non-green surroundings was observed. In terms of CO₂ flux dynamics, the increasing efficacy of photosynthesis was parallel with the growing forest canopy. Changes in flux dynamics due to urban green areas show their potential as a mitigation tool for moderating ambient air temperatures. Moreover, they can serve as a carbon sink within tropical cities and provide a pivotal contribution in reaching carbon neutrality. Full article

As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of urban heatwaves, elderly populations are becoming increasingly vulnerable to outdoor thermal stress, particularly in dense Mediterranean cities. This study addresses the critical need for micro-scale, climate-responsive design strategies that enhance thermal comfort for aging residents in historically underserved urban neighborhoods. Focusing on the refugee-built area of Nikea in Greater Athens, this research explores the effectiveness of nature-based solutions (NBS) in mitigating extreme heat through spatial interventions tailored to the needs of older adults. Using ENVI-met 5.6.1, two scenarios were simulated: a baseline scenario reflecting existing urban conditions and an optimal scenario incorporating mature tree planting and water features. The results are analyzed across three key time points—morning, peak afternoon, and evening—to capture diurnal thermal variations. The findings demonstrate that NBS significantly reduce the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET), with peak improvements exceeding 14 °C in shaded zones. This study highlights the value of fine-grained, nature-based urban interventions in promoting thermal equity and supporting climate adaptation for vulnerable populations. Full article

A 2D raster data representing building volumes of each grids are derived from 3D vector-format urban data for use in machine learning applications. Since the task is to explore patterns, i.e., urban heat islands, Gaussian blurring is implemented on these generated 2D raster data before the training process. This strengthens the visual capturing of spatial relationships, and as a result the correlation rate between air temperature and building volume data is also increased. After the model training, the prediction results are not simply evaluated with most widely used shallow metrics like the Mean Square Error (MSE), but thanks to the raster format of input and output results, some image similarity metrics such as Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) and Learned Perceptual Image Patch Similarity (LPIPS) that are able to detect and consider spatial relations are used during the evaluation and interpretation process, because of their higher usefulness in mimicking human visual judgements. The trained models with Random Forest and XGBoost methods which are capable of predicting the spatial distribution of air temperature by using building volume information are compared. By doing so, this research aims to assist urban planners in incorporating environmental parameters into their planning strategies, thereby facilitating more sustainable and inhabitable urban environments. Full article