Search Results (466)

The climate crisis, housing precarity, and the loss of everyday architectural heritage are converging challenges in Mediterranean cities. This article investigates the adaptive reuse of early twentieth-century adobe refugee dwellings in Nea Ionia and Kaisariani, neighborhoods of Attica, Greece, as an integrated social, environmental, and cultural strategy. Historical documentation, urban-morphological analysis, field observations, building survey data, material assessment, and design-based microclimatic analysis were combined to evaluate compatible restoration and bioclimatic upgrades as alternatives to demolition and conventional energy retrofit practices, with the main aim of preserving an important part of Greek history and architecture. The study develops a replicable qualitative assessment framework that identifies how existing adobe envelopes, compact layouts, courtyards, thresholds, vegetated pergolas, and low-water evaporative cooling may support low-carbon housing reuse. The results clarify the current preservation conditions and reuse potential of the selected case-study fragments, showing that adobe dwellings can preserve embodied material value, retain thermal mass and hygroscopic regulation, and support social housing when repaired with compatible, low-impact techniques. The article argues that the reuse of adobe refugee dwellings can function as a distributed urban strategy for housing provision, heritage continuity, and microclimatic adaptation. Its main contribution is a transferable analytical framework for assessing overlooked earthen housing stocks in dense Mediterranean contexts. The study argues that adaptive reuse can serve simultaneously as a means of social housing, a mechanism for optimizing the microclimate, and a means of preserving the tangible and intangible heritage of Greek adobe buildings that have been standing for over 100 years. This position extends circular construction debates by prioritizing non-demolition and direct reuse while preserving an important period of history. Full article

This study examines the evolution of thermal discomfort in Athens, Greece, using Thom’s Discomfort Index (TDI). The research commences from a historical reference period (1976–2005) and examines two future periods (2031–2060 and 2071–2100). TDI, which combines air temperature and relative humidity, was calculated based on three-hourly projections of five EURO-CORDEX regional climate models under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios. Model outputs were bias-corrected using observational data from the National Observatory of Athens for the reference period and subsequently applied to future projections. Results indicate a clear upward trend in high thermal discomfort days in the city center. Under RCP4.5, intense discomfort days increase by 21–39 days by mid-century and by approximately 1–2 months by the end of the century. Under the high-emission RCP8.5 scenario, the increase becomes dramatic, with intense discomfort conditions potentially extending by up to three months annually. Overall, projections reveal a clear deterioration of thermal conditions with a difference between RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, highlighting the critical importance of emission reduction strategies. The study of TDI shows that climate change does not merely raise temperatures, but drastically increases perceived discomfort and heat-related risk, transforming long parts of the year into thermally uncomfortable periods. Full article

Urban drought pressure is increasing the operational risk and cost of maintaining municipal green infrastructure. Irrigation is still widely managed through fixed routines and fragmented information. To address this challenge, the study develops an integrated operational analysis by combining water consumption records, maintenance data and a GIS inventory for twenty municipal green spaces. System characterisation and performance screening were carried out using hourly meter readings to distinguish typical scheduled irrigation peaks from non-standard consumption patterns. To move from monitoring to control, irrigation needs were estimated using evapotranspiration (ET₀) and a garden-coefficient logic adapted to urban planting conditions and compared with measured consumption. The comparison indicates a potential reduction of 29–61% through improved scheduling and system adjustment. Based on the diagnosis, technical intervention scenarios were defined and assessed using techno-economic metrics, including ground-cover redesign and Mediterranean-adapted planting strategies. To support implementation, options were organised into intervention priorities using a multicriteria tool that balances water savings, costs and feasibility under municipal operations. Coimbra, Portugal is used as a case study, and a pilot application in a city garden, supported by 797 user surveys, clarifies practical constraints for scaling beyond isolated pilots. Turf-free scenarios indicate a 53.4% reduction in water use and a 60.5% reduction in operational costs, with a payback period below three years. The results highlight the potential of data-driven irrigation management to support more resilient, cost-effective and water-efficient municipal green infrastructure across diverse urban contexts. Full article

Rising temperatures within the urban context, as a result of climate change and the Urban Heat Island effect, have deteriorated thermal comfort conditions in outdoor urban spaces, especially during hot, Mediterranean summer days. This study investigates the potential cooling effects of integrating individual urban green spaces into a connected network, with the aim of improving thermal conditions in public areas. Thermal conditions of an 800 m² urban area in the city of Athens, Greece, were evaluated for a typical summer day using the environmental model ENVI-met. Based on an assessment of the current microclimatic conditions, a potential thermal adaptation strategy was developed, aiming to redesign the study area as a network of green-blue infrastructure. This includes a 1.5 km walking route connecting various spaces, such as squares, parks, and schools. Air temperature (Tair) and the bioclimatic index PET (Physiologically Equivalent Temperature) were used to evaluate the thermal conditions of the study area. In addition, a new function of the ENVI-met model, Dynamic Comfort, has been implemented to calculate the dynamic Physiological Equivalent Temperature (dPET) index for the selected route. The results revealed significant Tair and PET reductions compared to the current layout, indicating that the integration of open spaces into a network of green-blue infrastructure can improve thermal conditions and reduce the hazardous effects of thermal stress on people. Some notable results include the spatial and temporal decrease of the Tair of up to 6 °C, mainly in the proximity of buildings and fountains. Similarly, PET values decreased mainly by 3 to 5 °C. The Dynamic PET showed a slight reduction during the hours of maximum temperature and a higher decrease during the evening, ranging from 1 to 2 °C. Full article

Background: The consumption of ultra-processed foods among adolescents is high due to their widespread availability and accessibility and has been linked to an increased cardiometabolic risk. In the Autonomous City of Melilla, it has been observed that Muslim adolescents consume more of these foods than their Christian peers, which warrants an exploratory analysis of their potential association with fatty acid biomarkers. Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted among 31 Muslim adolescents aged 15 to 17 years. The NOVA classification was used to identify the ultra-processed foods consumed, and the frequency of consumption, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and level of physical activity were assessed. Fatty acid composition was determined in serum, VLDL, and erythrocytes. Results: Ultra-processed foods accounted for 49.1% of total daily energy intake, and 71% of the participants showed very low adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Saturated fatty acids predominated in VLDL, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids reached their highest levels in serum, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes. Furthermore, higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was positively correlated with saturated fatty acids in erythrocytes and with n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in VLDL and negatively correlated with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes and VLDL. Conclusions: These findings suggest that more frequent consumption of these foods is associated with a less favorable fatty acid profile, which underscores the need for nutritional monitoring and preventive strategies tailored to the sociocultural context. Full article

The accelerating pace of urbanization, both locally and regionally, is undoubtedly one of the main drivers impacting the structure and diversity of vegetation cover. However, the relationship between the diversity and distribution of plant communities and the degree of urbanization remains a topic requiring further research. This contribution aims to reveal the impact of the urbanization gradient on the structure and diversity of wild flora in the urban setting of a Mediterranean city (Témara, Morocco). The study area was subdivided into three sectors according to a decreasing urbanization gradient: the first sector delimits the city center (built-up area exceeding 75%), the second covers an area with a built-up area between 50 and 75%, and the third delimits the city’s peripheral area with a built-up area of less than 50%. Each sector was surveyed using four transects, and each transect was surveyed six times, resulting in 24 surveys covering 260.5 m² per sector. The comparative study of diversity between the three sectors was based on the calculation of alpha diversity (Shannon–Weaver index and Pielou’s evenness index) and beta diversity (Jaccard similarity index). The results showed modest specific similarity among the four transects (mean Jaccard index = 0.385) and greater floristic richness in the peripheral area than in the city center. However, no significant difference (F = 0.675, α = 0.05) was observed in specific diversity among the three sectors. In addition, the therophyte rate calculation revealed significant therophytization in the city center compared with the outskirts. Such findings may lead to a more complete understanding of the processes underlying the relationship between urbanization and plant diversity, which may have implications for the conservation of this diversity in urban settings. Full article

Cities are artificial ecosystems that suffer most from environmental issues and climate change. Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects represent an increasing challenge, especially for compact Mediterranean cities characterized by high population density and extensive impervious surfaces. This study assessed localized microclimatic conditions within the small Maltese coastal town of Isla through a 15-day summer field monitoring campaign. Air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed were measured across urban locations characterized by different levels of vegetation coverage and thermal vulnerability. The analysis combined descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U testing, and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models. In addition, site-specific Nature-based Solutions (NbS) scenarios were proposed as context-sensitive strategies to support urban heat mitigation and climate resilience. The results highlighted distinct microclimatic responses between the sites investigated. In particular, the MLR analysis suggested that non-vegetated areas were more sensitive to short-term atmospheric variability associated with wind speed and relative humidity fluctuations. These findings suggest that urban vegetation may contribute not only to localized cooling, but also to increased microclimatic stability within compact Mediterranean urban environments. Full article

Urban areas in Mediterranean climates are increasingly affected by extreme heat, exacerbated by the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and the lack of climate-responsive public spaces. This study addresses the need for integrated methodologies combining empirical monitoring and simulation tools to support regenerative urban design. The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) in improving microclimatic conditions and outdoor thermal comfort during summer heatwave periods in a vulnerable urban area in Seville (Spain). A mixed-method approach combining microclimatic monitoring and ENVI-met simulations in situ was applied. A field campaign conducted in summer 2023 was used to characterize baseline conditions and calibrate the model, which simulated both current and proposed scenarios incorporating vegetation, shading systems, permeable materials, and water features. Results from the Seville case study show significant improvements, with air temperature reductions of up to 1.6 °C (daytime) and 1.9 °C (nighttime), surface temperature decreases of up to 11 °C, and thermal comfort improvements reaching 8 °C in UTCI. Beyond environmental benefits, the intervention promotes socially regenerative public space by enhancing usability, inclusivity, and comfort. Limitations include the use of a single representative summer day and inherent simplifications of the ENVI-met model. These findings demonstrate the potential of integrated NBS strategies to mitigate urban heat and support climate-adaptive and socially responsive urban design. Full article

The accelerating pace of global urbanisation is reshaping planning agendas toward integrating urban nature, yet dominant approaches continue to rely on designed or controlled interventions to produce engineered approximations of spontaneity. This study presents Rome as a striking example of spontaneous urban nature, where wild flora has reclaimed ruins, walls, and neglected spaces for centuries without planned intervention. By “wild” or spontaneous vegetation, this paper refers to unmanaged, self-seeding flora that establishes itself without deliberate planting, irrigation, or maintenance, colonising ruins, walls, abandoned lots, and urban margins through autonomous ecological processes. The paper adopts a critical narrative synthesis methodology, integrating historical–cultural evidence, contemporary ecological data drawn from peer-reviewed biodiversity surveys within Rome’s urban boundary, and a spatial analysis of georeferenced historical cartographic sources to build an interpretive framework for what is here called passive coexistence. The key findings demonstrate that Rome’s sub-Mediterranean climate and centuries of aesthetic conditioning through visual arts, literature, and film have together produced a tacit social acceptance of spontaneous vegetation, effectively substituting for the deliberate education campaigns and designed interventions required in comparable cities. The study proposes an alternative narrative of spontaneous urban nature, guided by ecological monitoring and grounded in heritage planning frameworks. Despite context-specific limits, Rome’s passive coexistence paradigm offers a provocation and existing proof for more-than-human cities that seek resilience without the resource burden of engineered green infrastructure. Full article

The concentration of tourist flows along short urban links caused by cruise stops in medium-sized Mediterranean ports exacerbates traffic and localized environmental externalities. This study evaluates the willingness to pay (WTP) of cruise passengers for an electric tram that would connect the Gaženica Port with Zadar’s historic center, an intervention designed to cut travel time and reduce on-street congestion and emissions. Over the course of two seasons, a two-wave, two-site, in-person survey was conducted at the port and in the city center. The instrument adopts a double-bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) contingent valuation design with randomized starting bids that were calibrated using a pre-test that benchmarked prevailing transport pricing. Primary WTP estimates are obtained from a binary choice model with socio-demographic and environmental covariates; whereby inference relies on cluster-robust errors. Robustness is assessed through three complementary checks that do not require additional data: (i) a bivariate specification to account for within-respondent correlation between first and follow-up bids; (ii) Turnbull nonparametric bounds for the interval-censored WTP distribution; and (iii) starting-point tests using split-sample estimation and bid-set indicators. A spike adjustment based on “no–no at the lowest bid” responses is explored where appropriate. Beyond its methodological contribution, this research advances the sustainable tourism development discourse by quantifying visitors’ financial support for low-emission urban mobility infrastructure that mitigates environmental stresses while preserving residential life quality. The results integrate cruise tourist management with the more general goals of resilient and sustainable urban destinations by offering a decision-ready value input for port-city mobility planning in historic Mediterranean centers. Full article

In recent decades, cruise tourism has emerged as a key economic driver for port cities, while simultaneously intensifying environmental pressures and socio-spatial inequalities. Despite growing scholarly attention, research exploring how these pressures are distributed within urban contexts and how they interact with pre-existing vulnerability patterns remains scarce. This study addresses this gap by proposing a GIS-based integrated methodological framework, the Port-city Risk Integrated Spatial Method (PRISM), applied to the Mediterranean port city of Malaga, Spain. The approach combines socio-demographic indicators and data related to spatial amenities with environmental pressures from cruise ship emissions to construct an Urban Socio-Environmental Complexity Index. Emission scenarios for peak cruise days were estimated using a bottom-up methodology and spatialized through atmospheric dispersion modeling, enabling their integration with exposure, vulnerability, and urban capacity indicators. The results reveal marked intra-urban heterogeneity and highlight the emergence of cumulative risk hotspots in areas adjacent to the port and along prevailing inland dispersion corridors. This study demonstrates the potential of integrated spatial indices as decision support tools for urban planning, offering a replicable framework for other port cities facing similar tourism-driven transformations. Full article

To advance the Sustainable Development Goals, it is essential to correct imbalances in how the benefits of urban trees are distributed across different demographic and socioeconomic groups. Environmental justice studies have frequently overlooked assumptions regarding the data-generating process and have not considered spatial confounding. This oversight potentially misestimates patterns of inequity. This study evaluates the sensitivity of inequity to model assumptions using urban tree inventories from Málaga and Sevilla and Bayesian hierarchical models. City-level differences dominated the inequity patterns, and model specification influenced the magnitude, precision, and credibility of estimated effects, though directionality remained consistent. Patterns were highly consistent across the four ecosystem services, indicating that model assumptions affected all services equivalently. Málaga and Seville exhibited divergent inequity patterns, indicating that local urban context mediates these relationships. In Seville, inequity patterns were inconsistent with the luxury hypothesis and occurred primarily across age-based demographic strata, whereas in Málaga they manifested predominantly along ethnicity, with weaker evidence of income inequities. We advocate for explicitly modeling spatial data-generating processes and comparing conventional versus confounding-mitigated approaches. This city-specific rigor is essential for urban planners to prevent resource misallocation, ensuring that tree-planting strategies address genuine inequities rather than methodological biases. Full article

The climate crisis exposes the inadequacy of modern urban paradigms grounded in the separation between nature and built form. In response, this paper reframes streetscapes as architectural and urban spaces where ecological performance and spatial composition are conceived as mutually constitutive. Rather than treating Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as isolated techno-performative devices, the research interprets them as design components capable of shaping section, threshold, and relational depth within the street. Building on two European-funded research projects, the ClimaScapes research—which unfolds into the Climate-Adaptive Nature-Based Urban Regeneration (CANBUR) Framework—through the different phases of Research about Design, Research by Design and Research for Design, thus develops the design-driven Operational Methodology. The paper, repositioning streetscapes as strategic fields for urban and architectural design, presents (i) the tools developed within it and (ii) its application inside a neighborhood of Matera (Italy). The findings demonstrate that integrating NBS within coherent spatial configurations enables a shift from environmental optimization toward architectural composition, offering a transferable yet context-sensitive methodology for climate-adaptive regeneration in Euro-Mediterranean and comparable urban contexts. This approach suggests streetscapes evolve into resilient, climate-adaptive urban commons, reinforcing community ties, ecological sustainability, and the broader goal of future-proof cities. Full article

The reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation is increasingly considered a strategic response to water scarcity and climate change, particularly in Mediterranean regions. This study examines the local feasibility and social acceptance of water reuse within the framework of Regulation (EU) 2020/741, focusing on its implementation in Italy. The research combines policy analysis, technical assessment of effluent quality from the GIDA wastewater treatment plant (Prato, Tuscany), GIS-based spatial evaluation, and a mixed-method survey of local agri-food producers. Results show substantial compliance with EU minimum quality requirements, alongside additional constraints arising from national regulatory thresholds. Survey findings reveal cautious but tangible openness among farmers toward reclaimed water use, particularly in response to increasing climate-related pressures. The case of Prato is further analysed within the Prato Circular City and local food policy frameworks, highlighting the role of participatory governance and multi-actor engagement in supporting reuse initiatives. The study contributes empirical evidence on the interaction between EU regulation, national implementation measures, and local socio-institutional conditions shaping peri-urban water reuse systems. Furthermore, it serves as a preliminary framework for future economic feasibility studies and the subsequent regulatory and permitting phases required to operationalize this practice. Full article

Urban overheating poses major challenges in Mediterranean cities, affecting public health and well-being. This study comparatively evaluates how alternative greening configurations influence urban microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort in a brownfield regeneration site in Imola, Italy, using ENVI-met simulations under a representative extreme summer condition. Eight scenarios with varying vegetation density, structure, and spatial arrangement were modelled on the hottest day of the year, and the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) was evaluated at representative times. Results show that greening reduces heat stress, though its effectiveness varies over time and across configurations. No meaningful cooling occurred at 5:00 a.m., confirming that vegetation has a limited impact during nocturnal radiative processes. At 9:00 a.m., the medium-density scenario (S2b) achieved the greatest PET reduction (~2 °C), suggesting favorable evapotranspiration conditions under moderate radiation. At 4:00 p.m., the distributed high-density scenario (S3.2b) provided the strongest mitigation (~1.8–2 °C). Distributed layouts outperformed clustered ones, highlighting the non-linear nature of vegetation cooling. Zonal analysis showed the largest cooling in public green areas, followed by parking, building, and path zones, demonstrating the influence of surface type and shading geometry. Greening also produced modest improvements in surrounding neighborhoods (up to 0.8 °C in the morning), although impacts remained localized. Overall, results highlight how vegetation quantity, structure, and spatial distribution influence cooling performance under critical summer conditions, supporting climate-responsive urban regeneration design. These findings contribute to sustainable urban planning by supporting nature-based strategies for climate adaptation and improved environmental quality in regenerating urban districts. Future work should consider seasonal vegetation dynamics and multi-objective design optimization. Full article