Urban nature exists in all cities, including spontaneous nature. Spontaneous vegetation has been well-documented in the broader ecological literature in the Northern Hemisphere in recent decades. However, the recognition of, and interest in, spontane...
The present study reflects on spontaneous nature’s agency to reclaim abandoned urban areas in Italian urban brownfields, providing a focused analysis of the Metropolitan Area of Milan. These spaces are the products of phenomena, such as deindus...
Urban nature and ways of protecting, designing and even mimicking natural processes are some of the most popular themes inspiring humanities and natural science studies in different disciplines around the globe. Urban nature, green infrastructure and...
In the face of mounting challenges related to limited availability of urban land and ecological degradation, emerging novel ecosystems offer unique opportunities for ecological regeneration, social redefinition of space, and alternative urban visions...
3 July 2025
A growing number of research studies show that children spend less time in natural environments, which may have detrimental effects on children’s mental and physical health. This study explores changes in children’s (6–12 years) use...
To promote sustainability in urban green spaces, it is necessary to know the diversity of spontaneous species in these spaces. Based on the investigation and analysis of the relevant scientific literature, the diversity of spontaneous species and the...
Urbanization profoundly transforms ecosystems, often resulting in habitat loss and biodiversity decline. Urban spontaneous plants, which are established naturally without human intervention, play a critical role in urban ecosystems by providing habit...
Climate change may strongly modify the habitat conditions for many woody plant species. Some species could disappear from their natural habitats and become endangered, while others could adapt well to the changed environmental conditions and continue...
Long-term exploitation of mineral resources has significantly changed the natural environment in urban-industrial landscapes. The changes on the surface of the extraction sites as a consequence of excavation of mineral resources provide specific mine...
This paper proposes the “return-to-nature” as an operational design framework for integrating spontaneous habitats and informal green areas into contemporary urban landscapes. Using spatial analysis, field observations, and open-access ec...
Urban protected areas are increasingly recognized as essential for human well-being, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience; however, their role in post-industrial cities remains insufficiently understood. To address this gap, we examine V...
Urban plant diversity is one of the key elements for sustainable urban development. Urban plant landscapes not only create a variety of experiences for residents but also have a positive effect on their physiology and psychology. In order to better i...
Human ecology, a stream of planning, was developed by Park, Burgess, and Hoyt. This theoretical model emphasized mobility and assimilation as natural paths to housing. This essay offers an analysis of its influence on urban theory and policymaking in...
Suburban areas connect the city and the natural land. This kind of area is subject to high ecological sensitivity. To give full play to the ecological value of spontaneous plants, it was applied to the construction of suburban parks. We need to explo...
Green roofs have increasingly been used in urban contexts to increase thermal insulation, provide habitat for species, and increase urban biodiversity. Here, we provide the results of a monitoring experiment to document (1) the survival rate of plant...
With globally more than 100,000 km2 impacted by surface mining at present, and with increasing demand for surface-mined products, land managers are challenged to address landscape degradation of decommissioned quarries, especially in urban areas. In...
As the material carrier of industrial heritage, industrial landscape planning integrates industrial heritage, post-industrial, and industrial tourism landscapes. In this study, we define the concept of industrial landscape planning. As a subsystem of...
Urban tree biodiversity represents a valuable natural resource. However, some fast-growing tree species with limited esthetic value play an important ecological role by colonizing degraded areas, such as closed landfills. Our observations indicate th...
The urban growth boundary (UGB) plays an important role in the regulation of urban sprawl and the conservation of natural ecosystems. The delineation of UGBs is a common strategy in urban planning, especially in metropolitan areas undergoing fast exp...
Unfortunately, we live in a greedy little world and horizontal areas are often too expensive to leave to nature on them. Therefore, creating gardens on vertical surfaces of urban areas has recently been very important to supporting sustainability bec...
Green spaces are essential for urban environments, but urban expansion often results in fragmented patches and narrow pavements unsuitable for tree growth. Consequently, there is a pressing need for alternative vegetation in urban landscapes where tr...
Many cities aim to increase urban forest cover to benefit residents through the provision of ecosystem services and to promote biodiversity. As a complement to traditional forest plantings, we address opportunities associated with “emerging urban for...
In the major U.S. and European cities (e.g., Detroit, Seattle, San Francisco, London, Paris, etc.) that since 2007 have been feeling the effects of the international economic crisis, regeneration processes have been set up thanks, among other things,...
Informal green spaces (IGSs) are vital yet under-researched urban areas that enhance biodiversity, provide ecosystem services, and improve the well-being of urban residents. However, the lack of a consistent definition and comprehensive understanding...
The increase of minimally managed vacant land resulting from population loss and the subsequent removal of infrastructure is a reoccurring feature in shrinking cities around the globe. Due to the low frequency and intensity of management, these space...
Spontaneous recreational activities in public spaces are a vital source of public vitality. Given the similarity between the walking patterns of recreational crowds in public spaces and the movement of electrons on a two-dimensional circuit surface,...
This study analyzed the planting characteristics and spatial patterns of public-type private gardens in urban areas. Five gardens in Daejeon and Ulsan were surveyed using quadrats to record tree locations and sizes and were digitized for layout mappi...
Composed of modern city centers and numerous slum patches in deep proximity and coexistence with one another, the Sub-Saharan African urban landscape is often perceived as chaotic or unorganized in nature due to the inconsistencies in the urban layou...
The urban structure is the spatial reflection of various economic and cultural factors acting on the urban territory. Different from the physical structure, urban structure is closely related to the population mobility. Taxi trajectories are widely d...
Urban flora is a more and more interesting research subject, in light of the ongoing environmental change and biological homogenisation, since urban contexts are much more diversified that natural ones and, therefore, they offer much more colonisatio...
21 November 2022
The rapid expansion of different types of urban land continues to erode natural and semi-natural ecological space and causes irreversible ecological damage to rapidly industrialized and urbanized areas. This work considers Quanzhou, a typical industr...
This study investigates human perception and use of Small Green Spaces (SGS) in a dense Western city (Florence, Italy). While there is some work on social dynamics in large urban parks, empirical studies of SGS are fewer. The research adopts an explo...
Studies of the history of regional insect fauna are important for understanding the changes in ecosystems. We analyzed the dynamics of ladybird fauna at the main sea resort of Russia over a period of 120 years to determine the following: (1) what spe...
The increased number of buildings in urban areas limits the creation of vegetated areas, leading to the search for alternatives to create spaces to promote contact with nature. In this context, green roofs have been increasingly studied. These struct...
Green roofs have received much attention in recent years due to their ability to retain rainwater, increase urban diversity, and mitigate climate change in cities. This interdisciplinary study was carried out on three historical green roofs covering...
Accurate evaluation of evapotranspiration (ET) flux is an important issue in sustainable urban drainage systems that target not only flow rate limitations, but also aim at the restoration of natural water balances. This is especially true in context...
The territorial development of the city of Brno during the 19th–21st centuries meant not only the growth of built-up areas (residential, industrial, commercial), but also the absorbing of segments of the ancient rural agricultural landscape. Wi...
As an important indicator of urban development capacity, vitality can be affected by the human perception of street views, which is a dynamic sensory process that can differ greatly according to different transportation modes, due to their different...
The Bay of Kotor, in its exceptional natural conditions, thanks to its geographical location and influenced by historical events, saw the development of rural settlements that are historically, artistically and culturally worthy of recognition. These...
With the rapid development of urbanization and tourism in China, increasing attention has been paid to the protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage, while tourists’ demands for travel experiences have gradually shifted tow...