Search Results (192)

Most of the global population lives and/or works in urban areas with limited access to green spaces. Integrating nature-based solutions (NBS) into indoor environments has emerged as a promising intervention strategy for enhancing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and promoting human health and well-being. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of introducing indoor plants of Sansevieria trifasciata, Dracaena fragrans, and Chlorophytum comosum, into urban office spaces on workers’ well-being, health, and productivity. The results indicated that reductions in volatile organic compound concentrations were associated with a 20.6% improvement in self-perceived well-being in offices with indoor plants. Notably, a significant decrease in pupil diameter (mean reduction: 0.3 mm) and an increase in pupil constriction amplitude (from 30.8% to 32.1%) were observed in the intervention group, suggesting enhanced parasympathetic activity. Although productivity remained unchanged, satisfaction with IEQ was significantly higher among office workers of the intervention group than among those in the control group (mean scores: 3.4 vs. 3.1). Overall, the findings suggest that indoor plants may represent a practical and scalable NBS associated with greater IEQ satisfaction and physiological responses consistent with a more relaxed state in office environments. Full article

Urban grey infrastructure, including transport corridors, flood-control systems, drainage facilities, railway margins, and industrial brownfields, is often treated in conventional planning as functionally vacant or ecologically marginal space. In this study, grey infrastructure is defined as engineered or infrastructure-dominated urban spaces and their residual or edge landscapes, rather than as green infrastructure. Yet such spaces may still contain spontaneous vegetation, water edges, soil patches, and sheltered microhabitats that can support birds, insects, small mammals, and other urban species in highly urbanized environments. From a multispecies justice perspective, this study examines spatial mismatches between PPGIS-derived public recognition and habitat quality modeled using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model in urban grey infrastructure. Using Zhanggong District, Ganzhou, China, as a case study, we developed an integrated framework that combines public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS), grid-based public recognition mapping, and the InVEST Habitat Quality model. Based on 260 valid questionnaires, participants identified locations associated with aesthetic preference and perceived habitat potential. These mapped perception points were converted into a grid-based public recognition indicator and compared with modeled habitat quality. The results indicate a marked perception-habitat mismatch. High public recognition was frequently associated with visually ordered, accessible, and highly managed urban spaces, whereas high modeled habitat quality was more strongly related to vegetated, riverine, peripheral, and semi-natural spaces. The spatial classification shows that aesthetic mismatch areas, where public recognition was high but modeled habitat quality was low, covered 43.20 km², accounting for 7.16% of the study area, whereas hidden ecological value areas, where modeled habitat quality was high but public recognition was low, covered 118.21 km², accounting for 19.59%. This study provides a replicable framework for identifying perception–habitat mismatches and supports more ecologically informed and inclusive strategies for regenerating urban grey infrastructure. More specifically, the study extends an established perception-ecology debate to grey infrastructure and residual urban spaces and demonstrates how PPGIS-derived public recognition and InVEST-modeled habitat quality can be compared within the same grid framework to locate spatially explicit alignment and mismatch. Full article

Urban green space (UGS) with multidimensional attributes provides crucial ecosystem services and public health benefits. However, there is no systemic knowledge on how these diverse UGS attributes meet needs with different socio-economic and demographic characteristics. This study conducts a meta-analysis of the existing UGS case studies from the Web of Science database to reveal the knowledge breadth, depth and applicability for future research and practice in UGS. We evaluated how 75 socio-economic and demographic indicators shape 73 UGS indicators across 48 global case studies using a combination of relational analysis, meta-analytical effect and spatiotemporal distribution. The relation analysis reveals significant imbalances of UGS knowledge across attributes (Accessibility, security and amenities) and users’ characteristics (e.g., age), the meta-analytical effect size analysis indicates that many associations have not yet received consistent and conclusive empirical support for direct application to UGS planning and design, and the spatiotemporal analysis indicates that the concentration of the sampled studies in China and the United States further constrains the external applicability of the synthesized evidence. These findings recognize the multidimensional nature of UGS and the need for context-sensitive consideration and highlight the urgency of developing a unified assessment framework to improve knowledge discovery and applicability in UGS planning for urban sustainability. Full article

Studies on the association between green spaces and childhood allergic diseases are limited and have yielded inconsistent results across different regions. Furthermore, this relationship remains underexplored in Chengdu, China. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the residential greening rate, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), proportion of allergenic plants (proportion of allergenic woody plants, proportion of allergenic herbaceous plants), the closeness-to-nature characteristics of children’s playgrounds, and childhood allergic diseases in Chengdu. Seven representative neighborhoods were selected based on a 2018 database of pediatric patients from West China Hospital of Sichuan University. Through questionnaires in 2025, data on allergic diseases (e.g., atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis) were collected for 210 children aged 0–6 years. Logistic regression models were employed to analyze the data. The results indicate that in the overall sample, residential greening rate, NDVI, proportion of allergenic plants and closeness-to-nature characteristics of children’s playgrounds showed no significant association with allergic diseases. However, subgroup analyses revealed that greening rate was positively associated with allergy risk among children aged 0–3 years, whereas the proportion of allergenic woody plants was negatively associated with allergy risk in this age group; residential NDVI was significantly negatively associated with allergy risk in low-to-medium-housing-price neighborhoods (<19,000 CNY/m²), but positively associated in high-housing-price neighborhoods (≥19,000 CNY/m²); the proportion of allergenic herbaceous plants was significantly negatively associated with allergy risk in children only in high-housing-price neighborhoods. The presence of children’s playgrounds, accessibility of natural elements, integration of sites and facilities into the landscape, and use of natural materials in playgrounds and facilities showed a negative trend with allergy risk in low-to-medium-housing-price neighborhoods; the integration of sites and facilities into the landscape was significantly positively associated with allergy risk in high-rise neighborhoods. Collectively, these associations vary based on individual and neighborhood characteristics. Targeted green space planning and design interventions should be context-specific, synergistically optimizing vegetation coverage and plant composition, while enhancing the closeness-to-nature characteristics of children’s playgrounds within neighborhoods. Our results provide empirical evidence that may offer insights into the development of healthy and child-friendly cities. Full article

Ensuring equitable access to urban green spaces is a major challenge in contemporary urban planning, with important implications for public health, well-being and environmental justice. However, comparative cross-city analyses based on harmonised methodologies remain limited, particularly across contrasting European climatic and morphological contexts. This study aims to: (i) assess the spatial distribution of public green spaces; (ii) evaluate neighbourhood-level accessibility and identify environmental justice inequalities; and (iii) examine how urban form and climatic context influence accessibility outcomes across the following three medium-sized European cities: Faro (Portugal), Tartu (Estonia) and Nitra (Slovakia). A GIS-based approach was applied using consistent criteria, including publicly accessible green spaces ≥ 1 ha, Euclidean buffers of 300 m and 500 m, and harmonised population data from the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL). Accessibility was quantified as the proportion of residents living within the defined walking-distance thresholds. The results reveal substantial inter- and intra-urban disparities. Tartu exhibits the highest green space provision (23.34 m²/inhabitant), while Faro presents the lowest (5.67 m²/inhabitant). However, accessibility patterns do not directly reflect provision levels: Faro achieves accessibility values at 500 m comparable to those of Tartu, whereas Nitra shows lower accessibility despite moderate provision. These findings demonstrate that accessibility is shaped primarily by the spatial configuration of green spaces rather than by overall provision alone. The study highlights the importance of integrating urban morphology and climatic context into environmental justice assessments and urban green infrastructure planning in order to reduce spatial inequalities in access to urban nature. Full article

Improving peri-urban accessibility involves enhancing infrastructure and connectivity for diverse populations. This study proposes a design-led framework for a multiscalar landscape approach to improve peri-urban accessibility using GIS to assess corridor impacts on (i) pedestrian access to green areas, and (ii) cycling access to semi-natural areas, enhancing daily use and socioecological connectivity. It examines how a continuous, safe network of routes can reduce barriers between urban cores, peri-urban belts, and natural spaces, facilitating recreational access. The network improves accessibility to Madrid’s natural and peri-urban landscapes, intersecting with existing networks and reinforcing city structure. New corridors significantly alter 15 min walk and cycling accessibility to green spaces. Findings suggest that Madrid’s peri-urban landscape access can be improved via a corridor network, linking the green belt to the city at walkable and cyclable distances. This strategy promotes sustainable land use by focusing recreation on resilient routes, buffering habitats, and aligning public preferences for beauty with ecological health. Full article

This study deciphers the impacts of urban forests and green spaces (UFGSs) on housing prices through a systematic review of 180 peer-reviewed articles (440 empirical cases) to delineate how various UFGS attributes drive housing price changes, focusing on the direction, intensity, and contextual dependency of these impacts. We identified specific UFGS attributes (e.g., proximity, size, type, quality, accessibility, landscape patterns) and the methodologies assessing their price impacts, primarily hedonic pricing models. Our findings confirm a consistent, albeit highly variable, positive premium from urban forests and related green infrastructure on housing prices. Key drivers include not only proximity and size, but also crucial qualitative attributes like perceived UFGS quality (e.g., tree canopy coverage, wooded park maintenance), which often show stronger or more consistent effects than simple quantitative measures. The analysis also highlights that negative impacts can arise from poorly managed urban forests or certain disamenity-prone green typologies. Significant spatio-temporal heterogeneity is evident, with price effects varying by urban context (e.g., density, development stage) and over time. Socio-economic factors, particularly manifesting as “green gentrification”, which can exacerbate inequalities by disproportionately benefiting higher-income groups, critically moderate these relationships. Furthermore, prevalent non-linear effects (e.g., distance-decay patterns, threshold effects for UFGS size) and complex interactions between different UFGS attributes underscore the nuanced nature of the UFGS–price nexus. This review provides a structured understanding of urban forest and green space capitalization drivers, emphasizing the need for nuanced, evidence-based urban forestry planning and green space management that considers UFGS quality, diversity, and equitable distribution for sustainable urban development. Full article

This study assesses the configuration potential of embedded outdoor sports facilities in high-density urban areas in response to persistent challenges related to supply–demand imbalance, limited accessibility, and low spatial efficiency under stock-based urban renewal. Embedded sports facilities, characterized by multifunctional land use and efficient resource integration, offer a promising pathway to alleviate these pressures. This study proposes a multidimensional framework to assess configuration potential by integrating multi-source data, spatial analysis, and quantitative evaluation methods. The assessment system is structured around three core dimensions: supply–demand improvement, use convenience, and environmental suitability. The TOPSIS model is applied to evaluate the configuration potential of 1268 parcels at the micro-scale. Results reveal a spatial pattern characterized by clustered low-potential parcels in central areas and scattered high-potential parcels in peripheral zones. The results reveal that low-potential clusters notably coincide with areas characterized by concentrated educational land uses and complex natural topographic conditions. Notably, more than 40 percent of high-potential parcels are located within blue–green infrastructure spaces. These findings provide practical evidence to support precise sports facility planning and community-scale renewal strategies in high-density urban environments. Full article

Against the backdrop of urbanization and global warming, reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality have emerged as focal points in current urban ecological research. Urban green infrastructure (UGI) serves as the primary natural carbon sink within cities; therefore, investigating and optimizing its carbon sequestration services is a crucial step toward realizing carbon neutrality and fostering sustainable urban development. As the core components of urban ecosystems, urban parks provide essential ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in expanding carbon sinks, facilitating energy conservation and emission reduction, and enhancing urban climate resilience. This paper takes 20 parks in Linyi City’s central urban area as examples, systematically quantifies the carbon sequestration effect of urban parks in the central urban area of Linyi City from 2019 to 2024 using methods such as the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach (CASA) and the gravity model, and quantitatively evaluates the equity of urban residents’ access to these services. The study shows that the overall annual average carbon sequestration rate of urban parks in Linyi City’s central area over nearly six years ranges from 202.02 gC·m⁻²·a⁻¹ to 279.31 gC·m⁻²·a⁻¹, while individual park annual averages range from 171.29 to 332.76 gC·m⁻²·a⁻¹, falling within the normal range for cities at the same latitude; in terms of vegetation carbon sequestration capacity, woody plant communities dominate in this region, with annual average carbon sequestration rates approximately 10% higher than those dominated by herbaceous vegetation. In terms of intrinsic activity performance of carbon sequestration, overall, woody-dominated plant communities exhibit greater stability and resilience under extreme weather conditions, experiencing smaller impacts on ecological functions but longer recovery cycles to peak levels. Regarding equity in the supply and demand of ecosystem services, the Gini coefficient in the study area is 0.59, indicating an extremely imbalanced state; within the same park service range, up to 60% of residents do not benefit from carbon sequestration ecosystem services. The urban supply–demand mismatch reveals that approximately 20% of the population resides in high-demand–low-supply areas, experiencing extreme ecological deprivation; only about 13% of the population falls into the high-demand–high-supply category, this group being the high-benefit recipients who enjoy both spatial convenience and high-quality ecological welfare. The theoretical implications for urban green space planning: according to the results, merely expanding park green space area to increase per capita access is myopic and inadvisable in central urban park planning. Instead, greater emphasis should be placed on enhancing ecological service levels beyond basic area requirements, comprehensively improving vegetation quality and ecosystem service capacity of parks. In old urban areas constrained by land use, the hierarchical structure of vegetation should be strengthened, and micro green spaces should have enhanced ecological service capabilities to improve residents’ access rights through higher service quality. In newly developed urban areas, planning should balance quantity and quality to serve more people and alleviate urban ecological pressures. Overall, by quantitatively assessing the carbon sequestration capacity and the socio-spatial equity of ecosystem services provided by urban parks in Linyi City, this study offers robust empirical evidence and methodological tools for sustainable urban planning, ultimately fostering the sustainable development of urban ecosystems. Full article

As essential components of the natural environment, urban green and blue spaces (UGBSs) hold significant potential to enhance public health and wellbeing. However, existing research is limited in understanding the spatiotemporal heterogeneity and nonlinear relationships characterizing how built environment (BE) features of UGBSs influence public happiness. This study takes Nanjing, China as a case study. It integrates multisource data (e.g., social media text, remote-sensing imagery, POI data, land use, etc.) and employs machine learning techniques (including sentiment analysis and random forest), to investigate the nonlinear effects and spatiotemporal dynamics of UGBSs’ BE on public happiness. The results show that nonlinear relationships (e.g., S-shaped and inverted U-shaped) commonly exist between UGBSs’ BE indicators and happiness. The influence of UGBSs’ BE on happiness demonstrates significant spatiotemporal dynamics. Diversity and destination accessibility were dominant factors from 2021 to 2023, whereas the importance of the design and density dimensions increased substantially after 2023. The influence varied across UGBS types; except for the diversity dimension, the BE’s density, design, and destination accessibility were significantly associated with happiness across all UGBS types. The study offers empirical evidence to inform planning and management of UGBS infrastructure, with the aim to maximize public health benefits and foster healthy cities. Full article

Urban green space (UGS) is a critical component of sustainable cities and a modifiable determinant of mental health (MH). This review synthesizes 93 empirical studies and 929 bibliometric records to map theoretical advances, methodological evolution, and governance implications in the UGS–MH field. We integrate the following six validated pathways into a unified socio-ecological framework: attention restoration, stress recovery, behavioral activation, physiological regulation, social cohesion, and environmental buffering. Methodological trends indicate a shift from static greenness proxies to street-view and multimodal exposure measures, and from cross-sectional correlations to models that address spatial heterogeneity, causal identification, and AI-enabled prediction. Bibliometric mapping reveals increasing interdisciplinarity, geographic diversification, and growing attention to dynamic exposure science. Persistent challenges include spatial and temporal misalignment between exposure and outcome measures, reliance on single-modality indicators, limited causal inference, and constrained cross-cultural generalizability. Building on these findings, we propose a governance-oriented framework to support sustainable and healthy cities through equitable green access, behavior-informed planning, nature-based interventions, and data-driven decision support. Overall, this review strengthens the bridge from evidence to action at the interface of urban sustainability and population mental health. Full article

Integrating greenery into built environments plays a significant role in enhancing indoor space, nurturing mental health, and reinforcing overall well-being. Yet, many indoor settings lack direct access to natural greenery, raising questions whether nature-derived visual alternatives, such as chromatic properties or visual complexity could evoke neural responses comparable to those induced by natural greenery. Four indoor window-view stimuli were presented: White Color (control), Green Color, Natural Greenery, and Shadows of Greenery. We used electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor brain electrical activity, with a particular focus on frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) as an indicator of approach/withdrawal motivation and affective engagement. Natural Greenery showed the strongest asymmetry, with the most negative FAA values. Natural Greenery was also rated highest in comfort and likability. Additionally, a two-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated significantly greater right-frontal engagement in the Natural Greenery view. No comparable neural response was observed for Green Color or Shadows of Greenery. Full article

Urban blue-green spaces (UBGS) are crucial nature-based solutions for enhancing urban resilience and improving public health. This study examined the experiential relationships linking BGS use to human well-being among users of five urban parks in Delhi, India. Using an integrated experience-centered framework, we collected in-situ survey data (n = 411) to profile usage patterns, assess environmental quality, and quantify restorative outcomes grounded in Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Stress Reduction Theory (SRT). Advanced analytical techniques, including ordinal logistic regression and interpretable machine learning (SHAP), were used to identify the key factors associated with user satisfaction. The results revealed that for these respondents, BGS appeared to function as an essential neighbourhood, with over 40% visiting three or more times per week. Although visual attractiveness was rated positively, deficits in noise buffering and amenities indicated a gap between aesthetic and functional qualities. Restorative benefits, including emotional calmness, mood refreshment, and fatigue recovery, were consistently reported among respondents. Analyses showed that embodied experiences, particularly post-visit relaxation and physical comfort, were more strongly associated with user satisfaction. SHAP interpretation highlighted seating adequacy, routine use, and thermal comfort as prominent contributors, suggesting somatic relief may be particularly salient. This study provides exploratory evidence from a Global South megacity and context-sensitive insights into how restorative processes operate under high-density urban conditions. The findings show that routine accessibility, basic amenities, and thermal comfort are central to the everyday functioning of blue-green spaces as urban infrastructure, underscoring the need for experience-responsive and equity-oriented urban greening policies in high-density cities. Full article

Rapid urban densification has intensified the scarcity of urban green space and challenged residents’ health and well-being. Pocket parks, as micro-scale infill green spaces embedded in the urban fabric, are increasingly adopted to expand everyday access to nature. Using three representative pocket parks in Nanjing, China, this study draws on self-reported data from questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews to characterize spatiotemporal use patterns and examine their links to perceived psychological, physiological, and social benefits through quantitative statistical analysis and modeling. Results show that pocket park use is highly routinized. Temporal patterns were evident, with weekend and autumn visits associated with improvements in emotional well-being, pain relief, and parent–child interaction. Perceived benefits were generally positive across psychological, physiological, and social domains, with psychological benefits—especially emotional relief and reduced loneliness—reported most strongly. Benefit levels varied across parks and user groups. Mechanism analysis reveals that the park supply factor, reflecting accessibility and basic facility provision, showed the most consistent direct paths to perceived benefits, whereas facility use and length of stay had no significant direct effects. These findings suggest that pocket park planning should prioritize accessibility and adequate basic provision, while strengthening activity support in ways that align with local use rhythms to enhance health-oriented performance in high-density cities. Full article

This study examines the ripple effects of parkification, the transformation of post-industrial landscapes into public parks and green infrastructure, in Greenville at the Upper State region of South Carolina. As many Southern mill towns contend with industrial decline, environmental degradation, and complex land-use legacies, parkification has emerged as a pragmatic response to constraint rather than a conventional redevelopment strategy. Framed as a process rather than an isolated design outcome, parkification is understood here as a generative mechanism that produces cumulative spatial, ecological, and institutional change beyond individual project boundaries. Using a mixed-methods approach that integrates spatial and temporal mapping, archival research, site analysis, and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and decision-makers, this study traces how parkification unfolds across time and scale. Three interconnected case studies in Greenville, Falls Park on the Reedy, Conestee Nature Preserve, and the Swamp Rabbit Trail, are examined to address how post-industrial parkification contributes to greenway network formation and broader urban–regional transformation in the American South. The findings reveal that parkification consistently emerged from conditions of environmental constraint, including contamination, flooding, infrastructural legacies, and limited redevelopment feasibility. Early parkification projects functioned as generative landscape nodes that catalyzed the expansion of green space and connectivity rather than remaining isolated amenities. By establishing visible, accessible, and publicly valued landscapes, these projects enabled the extension of trails, river corridors, and preserved infrastructures, contributing to the formation of an interconnected regional greenway system. Institutional alignment among civic organizations, public agencies, and landscape professionals further supported the scaling and replication of parkification. Together, these findings position parkification as a process-based landscape strategy capable of driving the spread of green areas and long-term urban connectivity in post-industrial regions. Full article