City Center Research Articles

Mapping heat-related risks in Swiss cities under different urban tree scenarios

About three quarter of Swiss residents live in urban areas, and this proportion is expected to grow in future decades. An increasing number of people will therefore be exposed to urban heat, which can have adverse effects on human wellbeing, productivity and physical health.We explore the possibility to detect high-risk areas in five Swiss cities with the development of an urban heat-based risk-mapping approach. The included cities are Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich. The analysis is based on a combination of biophysical, including Landsat 8 derived Land Surface Temperature (LST), and socioeconomic data. Additionally, we assess the impact of urban trees on urban heat within the districts of these cities, helping to estimate how risk levels would change under two scenarios: one with increased tree cover (MaxTree) and another with no (NoTree) urban trees.The assessment on the impact of urban trees on heat showed that the areas with urban trees generally experience cooler temperatures compared to those without, both at the city and district levels. This underscores the positive role of urban trees in mitigating the urban heat effect.The risk mapping approach revealed a distinct spatial pattern for each city and high risk areas were identified.Generally, the high-risk areas in the analyzed cities cover the city centers and areas with high vulnerability.The ‘NoTree’ scenario showed higher risks compared to the baseline situation, illustrating that urban trees currently mitigate heat related risks in Swiss cities. The ‘MaxTree’ scenario results in lower risks, especially in the cities of Lausanne and Bern.The presented risk mapping approach, including the two idealized scenarios, can be used by policy- and decision-makers (e.g. city planners) can be a tool to determine where urban planning actions are the most urgent and where trees could be most beneficial in terms of adaptation to heat. The approach is easily adaptable and transferable to other cities, since it relies on a clear and simple methodological framework, openly available LST data, and basic socioeconomic variables at district scale that are available for many cities.

Microscale thermal variations in a walkable urban area during hot days: Analysis through mobile measurements and Day PET Signatures

This article analyzes the thermal variations of a small urban area recently transformed in the city center of Nantes, France, which has been designed to promote walkability and make it comfortable in summer. A measurement method based on mobile climate metrology, which offers high spatial resolution, was developed. Four measurements were conducted per day over five days between June and September 2023. The data was analyzed using the concept of the Day PET Signature (DPS), which reflects the dynamics of a point in space over the course of the day through variations in the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) index. Four clusters of DPS were identified in the dataset, enabling the accurate assessment of the thermal diversity existing in the study area at different times of the day in summer. The results demonstrate that the observed differences between clusters are solely attributable to the radiative conditions at the distinct positions analyzed. The concept of a Radiative Portrait is introduced in order to characterize the thermal diversity of the study area. In contrast to the TMRT synthetic index, the Radiative Portrait provides a detailed breakdown of the fluxes, revealing the intensity of short- and long-wave radiation in top, bottom and lateral orientations. The combination of the Radiative Portrait and the PET class qualification provides a comprehensive understanding of the local climatescapes in summer.

Green buffer areas and green roofs: performance design to improve the urban water cycle

Abstract While in all Europe the land use does not decrease – contrary to EU soil strategy that would actualize the zero net land use by 2050 – cities are plagued by problems such as air pollution, urban heat island effect and uncontrolled run-off following intense rain events, which degrade the environment threatening the health and the safety of inhabitants. The impermeable materials and are responsible for the worsening of the urban water cycle and, at the same time, for the increase in summer air temperatures: both those effects can be mitigated by nature-based and draining solutions. The paper explains the hydrological phenomena of the urban impervious surfaces, highlighting the typical functional defects, providing then a list of various green technologies suitable to overcome the common issues of city centers like high density / reduced spaces, irreversible impervious surfaces, undersized drainage, presence of sub-structures / sub-systems, conservation of architectural heritage. The technical green solutions on the ground (bio-retention systems, rain gardens, trees, pervious pavements…) and on the roofs, specifically designed, behave 1) as a buffer for the stormwater and superficial run-off, being able to collect water, 2) as providers of side effects that can affect water quality, biodiversity, amenity in cities. Experimental results from a rain simulation are presented in order to argue potentials and limitations of these solutions, often narrated as salvific, or, on the contrary, underestimated in their technological specificities.

Optimizing influenza vaccination among oncology patients through quality improvement cycles.

285 Background: Influenza poses significant risks to cancer patients, who are especially vulnerable due to immunosuppression caused by both their disease and treatment. (Cooksley et al., 2005) Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health (SKCC)’s Quality Improvement (QI) initiative aimed to increase influenza vaccination rates among adult cancer patients in our Center City clinic from October 2023 to March 2024. At baseline in the 2022-2023 flu season, 49% of our patients had a documented vaccination against influenza, leaving most of our patient population at increased risk for influenza infection. Methods: A series of four Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were implemented over the course of the vaccination season. Cycle 1 collected baseline data on vaccination status via electronic health records (EHRs) and identified gaps in patient knowledge and vaccine hesitancy. Cycle 2 trained medical assistants (MAs) to engage in effective vaccination conversations, emphasizing the use of presumptive communication techniques and the reconciliation of immunization records in EHRs. Cycle 3 integrated patient education materials on vaccination in the clinical encounter. Cycle 4 scaled assessment protocols across teams. Results: Cumulatively, 68% (2,592/3,824) of unique oncology patients had a documented influenza vaccination by the completion of the season in March 2024. Integration of vaccine reconciliation into the MA workflow was the iteration that led to the biggest increase in vaccination rate among the PDSA cycles tested. We surpassed our initial aim for the season (59%) in this metric. Conclusions: The QI project at SKCC demonstrates that layered strategies involving both patients and care teams can improve vaccination rates among adult cancer patients. Integration of vaccine assessment into clinic workflows was an effective tactic. Future efforts will focus on replicating these successes with other vaccines. Rates of influenza vaccination by PDSA cycle. Cycle # Date Cycle Description Outcome Metric: Cumulative Vaccination Rate (%) 1 Oct 2023 Provider perception survey of vaccination knowledge 65 2 Nov 2023 Integration of vaccine reconciliation in MA workflow 69 3 Dec 2023 Integration of patient education materials to clinical encounter 70 4 Jan 2024 – Mar 2024 Scaling of updated workflows to entire clinic 68

A Study on the Evaluation of Science and Technology Innovation Competitiveness of National Center Cities in China

A Study on the Evaluation of Science and Technology Innovation Competitiveness of National Center Cities in China

The Accelerating Loss of Resilience in Suburban Woodlands Can Largely Be Attributed to the Changes in Urban Precipitation Patterns.

Vegetation resilience holds significant importance for stabilizing ecosystem service functions in a changing climate. While global land surface vegetation resilience changes have been extensively studied, the impact of urbanization on the resilience of suburban woodlands remains inadequately understood. In this study, we utilized two critical slowing down (CSD) indicators, namely lag-one autocorrelation (LOA) and variance (VA), to assess the vegetation resilience, its long-term trends, and influencing factors in suburban woodlands across 1356 cities worldwide. The recovery rates estimated by LOA ( ) and VA ( ) showed close alignment in suburban woodlands with low suburban forest coverage (SFC) areas (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.95). However, a notable divergence was observed in areas with high SFC (r = 0.73). Suburban woodlands with high SFC typically exhibited lower recovery rate estimates, thus indicating greater vegetation resilience compared to areas with lower SFC. From 1986 to 2022, the recovery rates of suburban woodland areas in over 83% of the cities demonstrated a significant upward trend, with an average of 3.23 × 10-3 year-1 for both and , signifying a widespread decline in vegetation resilience. The accelerating pace of urbanization led to higher rising rates of and during 2010-2022 (5.11 × 10-3 year-1) compared to 1986-1999 (0.49 × 10-3 year-1). The notable decrease in resilience of forestland was primarily attributed to reduced precipitation in urban suburbs, which can be explained by urbanization-induced heat island and building barrier effects, causing a shift of precipitation center from urban suburbs to central cities. In summary, this study revealed that urbanization diminishes the vegetation resilience of urban suburban woodlands by altering urban precipitation patterns. These findings underscore the necessity of augmenting water availability in urban suburbs to restore resilience in these woodlands, thereby enhancing their ecosystem service value.

Evaluation and convergence analysis of science and technology innovation efficiency in China’s national central cities based on the super-efficiency SBM-ML model

ABSTRACT Scientific and Technological Innovation (STI) is an important driving force for economic development and social progress. National central cities are the main connection points of China’s economic activity network and play a leading role in the national economic development of the country. In order to explore the efficiency of STI and the convergence characteristics of STI in China’s national central cities, this paper selects S&T innovation input-output indicators and constructs a system of indicators for high-quality economic development. It measures the STI innovation efficiency of China’s national central cities by combining with the super-efficiency SBM-ML model and then constructs a model to analyze its convergence situation. The results of the study show that: from 2011 to 2021, the STI efficiency of China’s national central cities has reached an effective level, and the overall trend has increased; the total factor productivity of STI in China’s national central cities has obvious differences, with Beijing having the highest total factor productivity, while Shanghai has the lowest; the STI innovation efficiency of China’s national central cities exhibits both absolute β-convergence and conditional β-convergence, but there is no significant α convergence, and regional differences are obvious.

Collaborative Route Planning of Road Trips in Regional Central Cities of China: An Approach Based on E-CARGO Model

Collaborative Route Planning of Road Trips in Regional Central Cities of China: An Approach Based on E-CARGO Model

Developing a model for measuring the spatial disability level of cities within the framework of barrier-free pedestrian accessibility: the case of Kırklareli City centre

The problem of disability is directly related to the physical barriers encountered in urban spaces. Pedestrian accessibility performance is a notable urban quality indicator. Universal design principles and barrier-free design standards are important in making urban spaces usable for everyone. However, projects in this context generally cover specific areas of cities. Bringing an entire city into compliance with barrier-free design standards requires high cost and time. Therefore, determining the spatial disability level of the urban texture and planning project stages constitute a critical process for local governments. This study proposes a model to measure the pedestrian accessibility performance of medium-sized cities with relatively walkable distances within the framework of spatial barriers and to identify priority intervention points. In this context, Kırklareli city centre was selected as a case study area. According to the model developed with the support of GIS, the “ideal accessibility network” is determined for the citizens, and the performance level is calculated by identifying the spatial barriers on this network. The model was developed using components that can be applied to any city and tested in a sample urban environment. This conceptual model contributes to urban science and local government policy by providing a monitoring mechanism for spatial disability that can be constantly tracked by citizens, and by supplying an information base for projects to be developed by local governments. It is hoped that this study will popularise pedestrian-oriented spatial design and control in cities where walkability is postponed due to the focus on wheeled vehicle mobility and where spatial barriers are felt only by disabled individuals.

Seismic Risk Evaluation of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings: A Case Study for Çanakkale-Türkiye

Türkiye is in an important earthquake zone, and most of the population is under seismic hazard. The high loss of lives in the past earthquakes indicates that our existing building stock is vulnerable. In this study, a field survey was carried out to determine the existing earthquake risks of reinforced concrete buildings in İsmetpaşa, Barbaros, Cevatpaşa, Kemalpaşa, Namıkkemal, Esenler, and Fevzipaşa Neighborhoods of Çanakkale city center. This study was conducted to specify the regional distribution of risky buildings to be examined by the street survey method called "Simplified methods that can be used to determine the regional risk distribution of buildings" in the implementation regulation of Law No. 6306. For this purpose, 585 reinforced concrete buildings were examined with this method, and the earthquake performance scores of these buildings were determined. The performance scores calculated as a result of reflecting the number of stories, earthquake hazard zone, type of structural system, and structural irregularities of the buildings were evaluated based on different parameters. It was seen that soft stories with values ranging from 50% to 100% and heavy overhangs with values ranging from 37% to 63% were the most common irregularities in existing buildings in Çanakkale.

Differential effects of urbanization-induced heavy metal pollution on soil microbial communities under evergreen and deciduous trees

Urbanization has significantly increased heavy metal contamination in urban soils, adversely affecting soil microorganisms, which are vital indicators of soil quality. However, the effects of urbanization-induced metal pollution on soil microbial communities remains largely underestimated. This study examines soil microbial communities and properties beneath the canopy of three deciduous and three evergreen trees in urban parks, situated at varying distances from the city center. The results demonstrated that urbanization consistently alters soil physicochemical properties, including pH, soil moisture, and specific heavy metal contents (e.g., Zn, Mn, Cr). The α-diversity of soil bacterial community was significantly influenced by pH and specific heavy metals (e.g., Cr, Cd), whereas the α-diversity of fungal community was affected by pH, independent of heavy metal concentrations. The response of heavy metal content to urbanization exhibited a consistent pattern across both deciduous and evergreen trees, although the effect differed between these tree types. Furthermore, urbanization impacts the diversity, structure, composition and network of soil microbial communities. Notably, the Shannon index of soil fungal communities under deciduous species shows an initial increase, followed by a decline as urbanization intensifies. In contrast, the Simpson index of soil bacteria under evergreen tree species decreases with increased urbanization. Moreover, urbanization alters soil bacterial networks, with higher network density observed in less urbanized areas. It may also affect microbial functions, such as xenobiotic and lipid metabolism. This study provided a theoretical basis for urban park soil management, which is crucial for enhancing urban soil ecosystem services and mitigating the adverse effects of urbanization.

Long COVID in children and adolescents: a historical cohort study with a population-based control group from Iran

BackgroundAfter recovering from the acute phase of COVID-19, some of the infected children manifest long COVID symptoms. The present study aims to identify long COVID symptoms in children and adolescents admitted to hospitals in Bushehr, Iran, during 2021 to 2023, and compare them with the non-affected group.MethodsThis historical cohort study with a population-based control group was conducted on 141 children and adolescents with COVID-19 hospitalized in Bushehr city hospitals and 141 non-affected peers. Out of 10 comprehensive health service centers in Bushehr city, 5 centers were selected by random sampling and the non-Covid-19 group was chosen from them (matched by gender and age with the affected group). The data were collected using the data recorded in the patients’ records, conducting telephone interviews and completing the prevalent long COVID symptom form. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests, and stepwise logistic regression were used. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, with p < 0.05 as the significance level.ResultsThe mean age of the hospitalized children with COVID-19 was 79 ± 5.24 months old, 57.4% of whom were boys. Also, 46 individuals of the COVID-19 group (32.6%) manifested long COVID symptoms. The most prevalent symptoms included fatigue (54.3%), impaired attention or concentration (41.3%) and depression or anxiety symptoms (34.7%). Among the hospitalized children experiencing long-term COVID symptoms, 65.2% exhibited moderate disease severity. A significant relationship was identified between disease severity and muscle and joint pain (P = 0.025), as well as between the length of hospital stay and cough (P = 0.022), weight loss (P = 0.047), and symptoms of depression or anxiety (P = 0.008). Older age [(6–11 y; OR = 3.18, CI = 1.03–9.88); (12 ≥ y; OR = 4.57, CI = 1.40-14.96)] and having history of smoking or being exposed to secondhand smoke (OR = 12.45, CI = 3.14–49.36) were considered as risk factors for long COVID.ConclusionsThe variables of age and history of exposure to tobacco smoke exhibited a significant independent relationship with the occurrence of long-term COVID symptoms in children hospitalized due to COVID-19. Specifically, as age increases and the history of tobacco smoke exposure rises, the likelihood of experiencing long-term COVID symptoms also increases.

Evaluation of Enterobius Vermicularis Infection in Primary School and Relationship with Nocturnal Enuresis

Enterobiasis or pinworms infection is one of the most prevalent worms found in children worldwide . There was a possible association between certain infection and the propensity to develop nocturnal enuresis including intestinal helminthes infection. Prospective study included (100) randomly selected children aged range (6-12) years from both sex, have been acquired from primary schools in the center of Al-Kut city. The children were examined for E.vermicularis infection by microscopic examination .Total positivity rate of Enterobiasis among children from 6 -12 years was 14% &amp; the number of positive sample were 14 out of 100 child examined .37 (16.2%) were males and 63 (12.6%) were females..Males had a slightly higher prevalence than females However, difference was non-Significance (NS) P&gt;0.05. The results showed the highest prevalence (28.57 %)in the group age 6 years , while the lower infection rate was found in the group age 10-12 years (0%), The statistical analysis showed significant differences at the level of 0.05 between the age groups. E. vermicularis is one of the most common intestinal helminthes with nocturnal enuresis among children in Al-Kut city., there are no significant differences (NS) P&gt;0.05 between males and females for Enterobius vermicularis infection and nocturnal enuresis.

월성북고분군의 변천과 마립간기 6부의 내부 조직

This paper aims to trace the 6 bu organization of the Maripgan Period. For this purpose, a comprehensive interpretation was derived by comparing and analyzing the the Wol-seong North Ancient Tombs with the Geumcheok-ri Ancient Tombs and the central tombs constructed in the time period before and after the Wolseong North Ancient Tombs. The formation process of Wolseong North Ancient Tombs cluster consisted of the es-tablishment of the A-1 group, in which the high mounded tombs were built continuously nearby the pre-existing wooden chamber burials to the north, and the establishment of the B and C groups, in which new high mounded tombs were built along the outer wetland boundary, where there was no pre-existing burial ground. Groups A-1, B, and C are con-sidered to correspond to the three initial bu (Tak (喙), Pi (彼), Hangi (漢岐)). Before the divi-sion into 6 bu around the middle to late 4th century, the initial 3 bu were gathered togeth-er in the area of the Wolseong North Ancient Tombs. Subsequently, the A-2 group (centered around Hwangnamdaechong Tomb), which mainly consists of the super-large tombs of Group 1 and Group 2 and the large tombs of Group 3, came to be separated. The reason for this is likely the establishment of a separate burial ground for Gan (干支) status individuals in the center of the capital city. Moving forward to the 5th century, the 6 bu divisions of Tak (喙), Satak (沙喙), Motak (岑喙), Bonpi (本彼), Seupbi (斯彼), and Hangi (漢岐) were completed amid the power struggle between the Maripgan groups. The tomb of King Galmun, the head of Satak-bu, was continuously built in the A-2 burial ground. It is inferred that although the tombs of Motak-bu (the Geumcheok-ri Anceint Tombs) continued to be built at the group’s original burial ground, it followed the arrangement principle pursued by the tombs of Tak-bu and Satak-bu. During the reign of Nulji Maripgan (417-458), the ousted Silseong Maripgan faction separated to form A-3 burial ground (in the area of Tomb No. 119), and at the same time, the foundations for the principle of father to son succession for the Silla throne were estab-lished. Throughout the reign of the three major Maripgans ranging from Nulji to Jabi-Soji, A-4-burial ground (in the area of Bonghwangdae) was seperated to form the burial grounds of the Maripgan clan.

Studies of the cultural layer of the cities of Ufa and Birsk (based on the example of the work of the archaeological expedition of the "Ancient Ufa" museum-reserve)

The article presents the results of an analysis of the latest data of recent years, obtained during archaeological research of the first fortified settlements on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan. In the course of the work the analysis reviewed materials from archaeological heritage sites located in the historical center of the modern cities of Ufa (“Hillfort Ufa-II” and “Cultural layer of Ufa dated the late 18th – early 20th century at 29 Sochinskaya street”) and Birsk (“Old Birsk, historical cultural layer and burial ground”). Despite the fact that archaeological sites are subject to a significant anthropogenic influence, the obtained corpus of sources complements the information about the formation of the Russian population and their local tangible culture in chronological terms between 16th and the early 20th century. Studied fragments of pottery revealed differences and features of pottery traditions in the ornamentation, shapes of dishes and additional processing. The materials obtained from the site of Ufa-II indicate local damage (redeposited layer) of the cultural layer and no stratified layers of the New Age. Despite a more significant anthropogenic impact Sochinskaya Street is found with a local patch of preserved cultural layer dated by the period in question. Thus, it will make the reconstruction of the main stages of development of the immediate surroundings of the Ufa Kremlin possible. Alongside it will allow analysis of the adjacent territory. The research on the territory of Birsk documents a good condition of the lower cultural layer of the 17th–18th centuries. The potential of archaeological research of the city lies not only in studying the local features of the tangible culture of the local population, but also in the opportunity to describe the period of the early Russian settlement in Bashkiria in the 16th–18th centuries.

Sputum culture conversion and its predictors among drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis patients in eastern Ethiopia.

Evidence of time to culture conversion is used to predict the time of cure from the disease and the overall drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) treatment duration. Even though evidence about sputum culture conversion is enormous in TB treatment, no study has yet been done in our areas, where cases are common. The study aimed to assess the time to sputum conversion and its predictors among drug-resistant TB patients from October 2013 to September 2021 in eastern Ethiopia. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in eastern Ethiopia among 273 drug-resistant TB patients who were treated from October 2013 to September 2021 at Dire Dawa City and Harari regional treatment centres. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the median time of sputum culture conversion. Cox proportional hazards regression was employed to detect the predictors of sputum culture conversion. An adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to determine the strength and significance of the association. Of the 273 drug-resistant TB patients, the sputum culture of 216 (79.12%) patients became negative in a median time of 3months (interquartile range 2-7). The time to sputum culture conversion was negatively associated with underweight (aHR 0.65 [95% CI 0.49 to 0.90]) and poor adherence (aHR 0.41 [95% CI 0.24 to 0.69]). The time to sputum culture conversion was also positively associated with patients resistant to two or more drugs (aHR 1.58 [95% CI 1.07 to 2.32]) and patients receiving a short treatment regimen (aHR 2.24 [95% CI 1.10 to 2.55]). A shorter culture conversion rate was observed compared with the median time recommended by the World Health Organization. Being underweight, poor adherence to treatment, resistance to two or more drugs and receiving a short treatment regimen were found to be predictors of time to sputum culture conversion. Implementing nutrition assessment, counselling and support of drug adherence may improve sputum culture conversion.

Analisis Manajemen Strategik pada Megah Supplier Catering

This research is a type of qualitative field research. Primary data was obtained from the results of in-depth interview with competent informants. Secondary data is documents, reports, books, research journals and articles that are still related to research problems. The method used is Internal Factor Evalution (IFE), Eksternal Factor Evaluation (EFE), Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT), and interviews. The results of the research slow that in the IFE Matrix the strength and weakness factors have a total score of (2), this identifies that Megah Supplier Catering is in a strong internal supplier position, where this business has good strengths in termas of partnering with major raw material suppliers. Then in the EFE Matrix analyzes that Megah Supplier Catering has opportunities and threats with a weigth score of (1,89). This identifies that Megah Supplier Catering’s efforts to suppress strength with SWOT strategy opportunities, it is obtained to maintain a good taste and strategic location in Jakarta City Center.

A Study on the Usage Status of Senior-Friendly Parks in the City Center Based on Accessibility and Recognition

A Study on the Usage Status of Senior-Friendly Parks in the City Center Based on Accessibility and Recognition

Influence of an Automated Vehicle with Predictive Longitudinal Control on Mixed Urban Traffic Using SUMO

In this paper, an approach to quantify the area of influence of an intelligent longitudinally controlled autonomous vehicle in an urban, mixed-traffic environment is proposed. The intelligent vehicle is executed with a predictive longitudinal control, which anticipates the future traffic scenario in order to reduce unnecessary acceleration. The shown investigations are conducted within a simulated traffic environment of the city center of Darmstadt, Germany, which is carried out in the traffic simulation software “Simulation of Urban Mobility” (SUMO). The longitudinal dynamics of the not automated vehicles are considered with the Extended Intelligent Driver Model, which is an approach to simulate real human driver behavior. The results show that, in addition to the energy saving caused by a predictive longitudinal control of the ego vehicle, this system can also reduce the consumption of surrounding traffic participants significantly. The area of influence can be quantified to four vehicles and up to 250 m behind.

Effects of urbanization on orchid bee diversity and orchid pollination: From neotropical cloud forests to urban cores

Urbanization is a significant driver of land use change, profoundly impacting biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide. However, its effects in the tropics, which host some of the planet's highest biodiversity, remain inadequately understood. Orchid bees (Apidae: Euglossini) are key pollinators in Neotropical ecosystems, playing crucial roles in maintaining floral diversity and reproductive success of orchids and other plant families. Yet, little is known about how urbanization influences their diversity and pollination. In this study, we analyzed the diversity and composition or orchid bee communities along an urbanization gradient which extends from the city center to the surrounding cloud forests, which bear high orchid endemism while being highly threatened. Along the same gradient, we further evaluated pollination of a model native orchid, Gongora galeata, which is exclusively pollinated by the bee Euglossa obrima. As expected, increasing urbanization led to a decrease in orchid bee diversity, as well as a clear separation in species composition between urban and non-urban sites and a reduction in G. galeata pollination (i.e. fruit production). However, contrary to our expectations, orchid pollination also decreased with environmental heterogeneity and the abundance of its specific pollinator. Despite urban areas still hosting orchid bee species, our results reveal clear negative effects of urbanization not only on diversity, but also on the ecosystem function of a highly threatened group of bees. This study highlights the importance of considering local factors of urban landscapes for preserving not only biodiversity, but also fundamental ecological processes in cities.