Search Results (10)

Current assessments of urban green spaces (UGS) rely largely on two-dimensional (2D) indicators, which fail to capture the three-dimensional (3D) structure necessary for evaluating ecological functions and human exposure. Among these, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) describes top-down canopy greenness from a nadir perspective, whereas the Green View Index (GVI) quantifies vegetation visibility at street level from a pedestrian perspective. Because the relationship between NDVI and GVI remains unclear, multi-indicator assessments become difficult to interpret, limiting their ability to jointly characterize urban greenery. To address these gaps, we develop a synergy framework that integrates remote sensing with street-view images. First, we aligned the observation scales through street-view depth estimation and converted NDVI into fractional vegetation cover (FVC) through nonlinear mapping to unify measurement units. Correlation experiments revealed that the consistency between GVI and FVC was weak across the city (R² = 0.27) but substantially stronger along arterial roads with continuous vegetation (R² = 0.61). On this basis, we design a Green Synergy Index (GSI) that combines FVC and GVI using fractional power-law adjustments and an interaction term to capture their joint effects. Robustness tests indicate that GSI effectively handles extreme or mismatched cases, differentiates greening patterns, and integrates complementary information from nadir and street views without numerical instability. Furthermore, we assess the consistency between GSI and land surface temperature (LST), showing that the proposed index improves explanatory power compared with FVC and GVI alone (by 5.6% and 8.8%, respectively). Application to the study area yields a mean GSI value of 0.44 on a 0–1 scale, with spatial variations closely associated with road geometry and functional zoning. This enables the identification of mismatched canopy and visibility segments and supports targeted, climate-sensitive green infrastructure planning. Full article

As a vital bridge linking human well-being with ecological processes, cultural ecosystem services (CESs) play a pivotal role in understanding the equilibrium of social–ecological systems. However, the spatial supply–demand relationships of CESs remain underexplored in rapidly urbanizing regions. This study establishes an integrated framework by synthesizing multi-source geospatial data, socioeconomic indicators, and the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to investigate the spatial dynamics of CESs in Taiyuan City. Key findings include the following: (1) A pronounced spatial heterogeneity in CES supply distribution, exhibiting a core-to-periphery diminishing gradient, with inverse correlations observed among different CES categories. (2) Accessibility, topographic features, and fractional vegetation cover emerged as primary drivers of spatial supply differentiation, while climatic factors and elevation exerted non-negligible influences on this Loess Plateau urban system. (3) Four spatial mismatch patterns were identified through the supply–demand analysis: high supply–high demand (38.1%), low supply–low demand (37.2%), low supply–high demand (13.6%), and high supply–low demand (10.9%). The coupling coordination degree of CESs in Taiyuan City indicated moderate coordination, with severe imbalances observed in urban–rural transitional zones. This study reveals nonlinear interactions between natural landscapes and anthropogenic factors in shaping CES spatial distributions, particularly the trade-offs between esthetic value and transportation constraints. By integrating big data and spatial modeling, this research advances CES quantification methodologies and provides actionable insights for optimizing green infrastructure, prioritizing ecological restoration, and balancing urban–rural CES provision. These outcomes address methodological gaps in coupled social–ecological system research while informing practical spatial governance strategies. Full article

Many studies in the literature have assessed the blue–green infrastructure (BGI) characteristics that influence its cooling potential for sustainable urban development. Common assessment methods include satellite remote sensing, numerical simulations, and field measurements, each defining different cooling efficiency indicators. This methodological diversity creates uncertainties in optimizing BGI management. To address this, a literature review was conducted using Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus, examining how the BGI cools urban space, which spatial data and methods are most effective, which methodological differences may affect the results, and what the current research gaps and innovative future directions are. The results suggest that remote sensing is ideal for large-scale BGI comparisons, numerical simulations for local development scenarios, and field measurements for assessing conditions closest to residents. Maximum BGI cooling intensity averages show 4 °C from remote sensing, 3 °C from field measurements, and 2 °C from numerical simulations. Differences in conclusions may arise from differences in the data resolution, model scale, BGI delineation method, and cooling range calculation. The key BGI characteristics include object size, vegetation fraction, foliage density, and spatial connectivity. Future research should prioritize the integration of the different methods, BGI shape complexity effectiveness assessment, and effects of urban morphology on evaluating BGI characteristics’ effectiveness, and explore digital twin technology for BGI management optimization. This study integrates key information on BGI’s cooling capabilities, serving as a useful resource for both practitioners and researchers to support resilient city development. Full article

Urban expansion and ecological restoration policies can simultaneously affect land-cover changes and further affect ecosystem services (ES). However, it is unclear whether and to what extent the distribution and equity of urban ES are influenced by the stage of urban development and government policies. This study aims to assess the quantity and equity of ES under different scenarios in cites of China and Europe. Firstly, we used the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small regional extent (CLUE-S) model to simulate future land cover under three scenarios: business-as-usual (BAU), a market-liberal scenario (MLS), and an ecological protection scenario (EPS). Then using ecosystem service model approaches and the landscape analysis, the dynamics of green infrastructure (GI) fraction and connectivity, carbon sequestration, and PM_2.5 removal were further evaluated. The results show that: (1) over the past 20 years, Chinese cities have experienced dramatic changes in land cover and ES relative to European cities. (2) Two metropolises in China, Shanghai and Beijing have experienced an increase in the fraction and connectivity of GI and ES in the long-term built-up areas between 2010 and 2020. (3) EPS scenarios are not only effective in increasing the quantity of ES but also in improving the equity of ES distribution. The proposed framework as well as the results may provide important guidance for future urban planning and sustainable city development. Full article

The phylloplane is an integrated part of green infrastructure which interacts with plant health. Taxonomic characterization of the phylloplane with the aim to link it to ecosystem functioning under anthropogenic pressure is not sufficient because only active microorganisms drive biochemical processes. Activity of the phylloplane remains largely overlooked. We aimed to study the interactions among the biological characteristics of the phylloplane: taxonomic diversity, functional diversity and activity, and the pollution grade. Leaves of Betula pendula were sampled in Moscow at increasing distances from the road. For determination of phylloplane activity and functional diversity, a MicroResp tool was utilized. Taxonomic diversity of the phylloplane was assessed with a combination of microorganism cultivation and molecular techniques. Increase of anthropogenic load resulted in higher microbial respiration and lower DNA amount, which could be viewed as relative inefficiency of phylloplane functioning in comparison to less contaminated areas. Taxonomic diversity declined with road vicinity, similar to the functional diversity pattern. The content of Zn in leaf dust better explained the variation in phylloplane activity and the amount of DNA. Functional diversity was linked to variation in nutrient content. The fraction of pathogenic fungi of the phylloplane was not correlated with any of the studied elements, while it was significantly high at the roadsides. The bacterial classes Gammaproteobacteria and Cytophagia, as well as the Dothideomycetes class of fungi, are exposed to the maximal effect of distance from the highway. This study demonstrated the sensitivity of the phylloplane to road vicinity, which combines the effects of contaminants (mainly Zn according to this study) and potential stressful air microclimatic conditions (e.g., low relative air humidity, high temperature, and UV level). Microbial activity and taxonomic diversity of the phylloplane could be considered as an additional tool for bioindication. Full article

Urban vegetation provides undeniable benefits to urban climate, health, thermal comfort and environmental quality of cities and represents one of the most considered urban heat mitigation measures. Despite the plethora of available scientific information, very little is known about the holistic and global impact of a potential increase of urban green infrastructure (GI) on urban climate, environmental quality and health, and their synergies and trade-offs. There is a need to evaluate globally the extent to which additional GI provides benefits and quantify the problems arising from the deployment of additional greenery in cities which are usually overlooked or neglected. The present paper has reviewed and analysed 55 fully evaluated scenarios and case studies investigating the impact of additional GI on urban temperature, air pollution and health for 39 cities. Statistically significant correlations between the percentage increase of the urban GI and the peak daily and night ambient temperatures are obtained. The average maximum peak daily and night-time temperature drop may not exceed 1.8 and 2.3 °C respectively, even for a maximum GI fraction. In parallel, a statistically significant correlation between the peak daily temperature decrease caused by higher GI fractions and heat-related mortality is found. When the peak daily temperature drops by 0.1 °C, then the percentage of heat-related mortality decreases on average by 3.0% The impact of additional urban GI on the concentration of urban pollutants is analysed, and the main parameters contributing to decrease or increase of the pollutants’ concentration are presented. Full article

Urban green space (UGS) plays a pivotal role in improving urban ecosystem services and building a livable environment for urban dwellers. However, remotely sensed investigation of UGS at city scale is facing a challenge due to the pixels’ mosaics of buildings, squares, roads and green spaces in cities. Here we developed a new algorithm to unmix the fraction of UGS derived from Landsat TM/ETM/8 OLI using a big-data platform. The spatiotemporal patterns and dynamics of UGSs were examined for 70 major cities in China between 2000 and 2018. The results showed that the total area of UGS in these cities grew from 2780.66 km² in 2000 to 6764.75 km² in 2018, which more than doubled its area. As a result, the UGS area per inhabitant rose from 15.01 m² in 2000 to 18.09 m² in 2018. However, an uneven layout of UGS occurred among the coastal, western, northeastern and central zones. For example, the UGS percentage in newly expanded urban areas in the coastal zone rose significantly in 2000–2018, with an increase of 2.51%, compared to the decline in UGS in cities in the western zone. Therefore, the effective strategies we have developed should be adopted to show disparities and promote green infrastructure capacity building in those cities with less green space, especially in western China. Full article

This experiment was aimed at verifying the usefulness of phytoremediation using Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) in an urban Zn-contaminated site. Besides elemental uptake and reclamation, the SRC method was applied to evaluate the additional benefits of a green infrastructure. Nine different plants with rapid growth and large biomass production were selected: three Populus clones, three Salix hybrids, and three Robinia genotypes. Annual and biennial coppicing were evaluated. Poplar clones were more productive using annual coppicing, while Salix and Robinia produced higher biomass in blocks not coppiced. Poplar had the highest phytoextraction rate during the second year, with 1077 g/ha. Salix clones S1 and S3 extracted similar quantities using biennial coppicing. After two years, the bioavailable fraction of Zn decreased significantly using all species, from the 26% decrease of Robinia to the 36% decrease of Salix. The short rotation coppice method proved to be useful in an urban context, for both landscape and limiting the access to the contaminated area. Improving the biomass yield through the phytomanagement options (fertilization, irrigation, coppicing, etc.) could make SRC phytoremediation an economic and effective solution to manage urban contaminated areas, coupling the added values of biomass production to the landscape benefits. Full article

The “pay-as-you-throw” (PAYT) scheme is an economic instrument for waste management that applies the “polluter pays” principle by charging the inhabitants of municipalities according to the amount of residual, organic, and bulky waste they send for third-party waste management. When combined with well-developed infrastructure to collect the different waste fractions (residual waste, paper and cardboard, plastics, bio waste, green cuttings, and many recyclables) as well as with a good level of citizens’ awareness, its performance has frequently been linked to an increase in the collection rates of recyclables. However, the establishment and operation of PAYT systems can require significant resource inputs from municipalities. In this paper, PAYT is analysed through a case study from the German County of Aschaffenburg, covering nearly 20 years of implementation across 32 municipalities with 173,000 inhabitants. Key performance indicators include temporal trends in the county’s recyclables collection rate, waste treatment fees for residents, and municipal waste management costs, benchmarked against German municipalities not implementing PAYT. We conclude that PAYT could make an important contribution towards material reuse and recycling objectives for the new circular economy. Full article

The increasing trends of electrical consumption within data centres are a growing concern for business owners as they are quickly becoming a large fraction of the total cost of ownership. Ultra small sensors could be deployed within a data centre to monitor environmental factors to lower the electrical costs and improve the energy efficiency. Since servers and air conditioners represent the top users of electrical power in the data centre, this research sets out to explore methods from each subsystem of the data centre as part of an overall energy efficient solution. In this paper, we investigate the current trends of Green IT awareness and how the deployment of small environmental sensors and Site Infrastructure equipment optimization techniques which can offer a solution to a global issue by reducing carbon emissions. Full article