Urban Environmental Conditions Research Articles

Evaluating environmental quality and associated risks in areas for sport and leisure in a rapidly urbanizing city: The case of the city of Fortaleza, Brazil.

Urbanization leads to significant environmental impacts, including the reduction of green spaces, noise pollution, atmospheric pollution, and thermal discomfort. This study aims to evaluate the environmental quality of urban areas used for leisure and sport in Fortaleza, Brazil, a city undergoing rapid urbanization. This research addresses the critical need for understanding urban environmental conditions and their implications for public health and urban planning. Sampling was carried out across two distinct climatic seasons (wet and dry) in 2018, spanning seven weeks in each season (April-June and October-November). The assessment employed multi-indicators, including biological (fungi and bacteria), chemical (particulate matter and carbonyl compounds), and physical parameters (noise and thermal comfort). Air quality indicators showed the following ranges: PM10 levels varied between 1.12 and 55.85 μg.m-³, PM2.5 levels ranged from 0.69 to 34.43 μg.m-³, and carbonyl compounds were observed at concentrations between 0.85 and 816.37 μg.m-³. Biological indicators included fungi counts ranging from 61.0 to 735 CFUs.m-³ and bacterial counts between 142.0 and 2381.5 CFUs.m-³. Physical indicators measured noise levels at 59.87 to 66.81 dBA and thermal comfort values between 25.31 and 27.18 DI. Higher concentrations of atmospheric pollution were observed during the wet season, while thermal comfort was better during the dry season. Noise levels remained relatively constant across seasons. Notably, formaldehyde concentrations at most sampling points posed a high cancer risk, exceeding limits set by regulatory agencies. Three points also presented significant health risks due to particulate matter (PM) exposure. The evaluation method combined direct measurements with multivariate statistical techniques to calculate an Environmental Quality Index (EQI), classifying sites as "excellent," "good," or "poor." The findings highlight the influence of factors such as vehicular traffic, vegetation coverage, and building density on environmental quality. These findings highlight the importance of urban design and vegetation in improving environmental quality and supporting public well-being.

Diversification of macrophytes within aquatic nature-based solutions (NBS) developing under urban environmental conditions across European cities

Diversification of macrophytes within aquatic nature-based solutions (NBS) developing under urban environmental conditions across European cities

Carbon sequestration in different urban vegetation types in Southern Finland

Abstract. Many cities seek carbon neutrality and are therefore interested in the sequestration potential of urban vegetation. However, the heterogeneous nature of urban vegetation and environmental conditions limits comprehensive measurement efforts, setting expectations for carbon cycle modelling. In this study, we examined the performance of three models – the Jena Scheme for Biosphere–Atmosphere Coupling in Hamburg (JSBACH), the Lund–Potsdam–Jena General Ecosystem Simulator (LPJ-GUESS), and the Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS) – in estimating carbon sequestration rates in both irrigated and non-irrigated lawns, park trees (Tilia cordata), and urban forests (Betula pendula) in Helsinki, Finland. The test data included observations of various environmental parameters and component fluxes such as soil moisture and temperature, sap flow, leaf area index, photosynthesis, soil respiration, and net ecosystem exchange. Our analysis revealed that these models effectively simulated seasonal and annual variations, as well as the impacts of weather events on carbon fluxes and related factors. However, the validation of the absolute level of modelled fluxes proved difficult due to differences in the scale of the observations and models, particularly for mature trees, and due to the fact that net ecosystem exchange measurements in urban areas include some anthropogenic emissions. Irrigation emerged as a key factor often improving carbon sequestration, while tree-covered areas demonstrated greater carbon sequestration rates compared to lawns on an annual scale. Notably, all models demonstrated similar mean net ecosystem exchange over the urban vegetation sector studied on an annual scale over the study period. However, compared to JSBACH, LPJ-GUESS exhibited higher carbon sequestration rates in tree-covered areas but lower rates in grassland-type areas. All models indicated notable year-to-year differences in annual sequestration rates, but since the same factors, such as temperature and soil moisture, affect processes both assimilating and releasing carbon, connecting the years of high or low carbon sequestration to single meteorological means failed. Overall, this research emphasizes the importance of integrating diverse vegetation types and the impacts of irrigation into urban carbon modelling efforts to inform sustainable urban planning and climate change mitigation strategies.

Remote Sensing-Based Urban Environmental Quality Indicators: A Review

Most of the global population lives in urban areas, which also serve as hubs of economy, industry, and government activities. Various factors that affect the quality of cities have been studied in different locations. This article reviews various papers that examine environmental quality indicators in urban areas that can be extracted from remote sensing data. The first aspect is vegetation cover, which is known from the vegetation index normalized difference vegetation index (NVDI), and the second aspect is surface temperature, which is known from land surface temperature (LST). In this work, urban environmental conditions in various countries are compared with urban conditions in Indonesia based on these indicators. It is found that NDVI and LST are indicators from remote sensing that are widely used to analyze urban environmental conditions. The vegetation index has a negative correlation with surface temperature. High surface temperature creates discomfort in urban quality of life and brings mental stress to residents living in those areas. Based on bibliometric analysis and network map, it is known that there are 30 most relevant words or terms to the keywords “urban remote sensing” and “remote sensing environment indicator” with the highest frequency of occurrence and relevance. This study can serve as input for the government as policymakers and urban planners to formulate spatial planning policies oriented towards sustainability and to research current topics related and relevant to remote sensing-based urban environmental quality indicators.

A study of the impact of urban business credit environment on environmental pollution.

Environmental pollution has become a global concern, so it is critical to find out the elements that influence it. Is the urban business credit environment influencing urban environmental conditions? The study takes the entropy method for calculating the environmental pollution index of 276 prefecture-level cities across China from 2010 to 2021, the CE1 index to describe the urban business credit environment, and a spatial Durbin model to empirically analyze the mechanism and transmission path of the urban business credit environment on environmental pollution. The findings demonstrate that: (1) there is an important positive spatial association between China's urban pollution index and urban business credit index, and that the level of spatial clustering of the two is increasing over time. (2) the urban business credit environment and environmental pollution have an inverted "U" shape relationship and a significant spatial spillover effect, which means that once a certain threshold is reached, improving the urban business credit environment reduces environmental pollution in local and neighboring areas. (3) The influence of the urban business credit environment on environmental deterioration varies by region. The extra heterogeneity test results for the different regions show that the relationship between business credit level and environmental pollution is consistent with the overall situation in the eastern and western regions, the opposite effect was observed in the central region. (4) Changes in the urban business credit environment have an indirect impact on environmental conditions due to the amount of regional financial development and technological innovation potential. To reduce pollution in the region, prefectural-level cities must strengthen the construction of urban business credit systems, strive to create a favorable business credit environment, strengthen the spatial spillover effect, and guide the resource elements of business credit planning to flow into the central and western parts of China reasonably. The study's findings have significant practical implications for modifying the government's development strategy and improving the urban environment.

Islands of lichen diversity in urban environments: a hidden richness in botanical gardens

Botanical gardens in city centres are green islands, offering a sanctuary for diverse plant and fungal species amidst urban landscapes. Although lichens are not usually a primary focus in botanical gardens, these spaces can serve as important refuges. In this work, the epiphytic lichen biota has been investigated in the Botanic Garden of Pisa, to uncover the hidden elements of biodiversity of botanical gardens in terms of non-target organisms. A total of 57 epiphytic lichen taxa and one non-lichenized fungus were recorded, including several threatened species. Two species, Arthopyrenia platypyrenia and Coenogonium tavaresianum, are new records for Tuscany, while Lecania cyrtellina is so far known in the region as occurring only in the Botanic Garden of Pisa. Lichen colonization reflects the richness of tree species, while the diffused presence of nitrogen-tolerant lichens could be associated with urban environmental conditions. Comments on Arthopyrenia platypyrenia, Coenogonium tavaresianum, Gyalecta liguriensis, Lecania cyrtellina, Lecanographa amylacea, Micarea misella, Porina borreri, and Waynea stoechadiana are given.

The nonlinear impact of urban blue-green space landscape pattern on residential housing price in a new first-tier city of China

Urban green and blue spaces (UGBS) play an increasingly vital role in enhancing urban environmental conditions and have been proven to increase residential property values. However, the nonlinear relationships between landscape patterns of UGBS and residential property values were less considered. To fill the gap, we employed nonlinear random forest (RF) models and partial dependence plots (PDPs) to analyze the impact of the spatial pattern of UGBS on housing prices in a new first-tier city (i.e., Nanjing) in China. The results showed that (1) The RF model explained 71.9% of the variation in housing prices. (2) Landscape patterns of UGBS significantly contributed to housing price variation, with the sum of relative importance scores of all the landscape pattern predictors amounting to 60.56%. (3) The PDPs results revealed that the percentage and spatial distribution of green and blue spaces positively influence housing prices. (4) Combining green and blue spaces boosted property values, with an average increase of approximately 0.41% and 0.53% in the percentage of landscape and mean patch area compared to green spaces alone. The findings of this study can inform urban planning policies and guidelines to optimize recreation and leisure spaces.

Walkability and Parental Safety Perceptions as Determinants of Children’s School Commutes: A Systematic Review

Walking is the oldest, most affordable, and environmentally healthy mode of transport. Its importance is widely recognised in the scientific and political fields, with active school travel being a consensual target goal. Children’s active school travel promotes physical activity, independence, and social interaction. Additionally, it contributes to mitigating traffic congestion, reducing air pollution, and enhancing societal well-being. Despite these positive effects, children’s commuting patterns and outdoor activities are becoming more restricted due to the continuous growth of motorised traffic and car-oriented urban environment conditions. As a result, school walkability indexes are emerging in literature, although few consider parental safety perceptions. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the existing evidence, examining and summarising quantitative and qualitative studies on school walkability and the impact of parental barriers on children walking to school. The updated information provided in this review highlights the link between the urban environment, parental fear of traffic, and children’s school travel behaviour. Using the PRISMA method and a series of in-depth interviews, we developed a comprehensive walkability model. The literature review highlights the importance of geographical differences and social and environmental diversities, requiring different solutions to promoting active commuting to school. Distance and quality of infrastructure are critical factors, but not exclusive. Our interview results suggest that social norms, parents’ fear of car traffic, and educational background can influence the results. This study offers insights into perceived walkability, particularly regarding school walkability in a Portuguese context.

Analysis of the interrelationship between precipitation and confirmed dengue cases in the city of Recife (Brazil) covering climate and public health information.

Large-scale epidemics of arboviruses, such as dengue, have heightened societal awareness regarding the necessity of combating the primary transmission vectors. Equally critical is the identification of environmental conditions and variables that influence vector population dynamics. Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of arboviruses such as dengue and Zika in Brazil, is closely associated with the climatic and geographical conditions of urban environments. This study examines the relationship between precipitation and confirmed dengue cases in Recife (Brazil), employing regression and quantile analyses to evaluate the influence of meteorological conditions on the disease's spread. The findings reveal a direct correlation between monthly averages of precipitation and confirmed cases, although this is apparent only when excluding years of epidemic peaks. The highest number of cases generally aligns with the rainy season, and the lowest with the dry season, with weak, moderate and strong precipitation events being closely linked to increased dengue incidence. However, notable discrepancies were identified: four out of six major outbreaks occurred in drier months, challenging the assumption of a straightforward relationship between rainfall and dengue incidence. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of dengue dynamics, suggesting that while precipitation plays a significant role, other factors, including serotype circulation and broader climatic phenomena, are equally critical in driving outbreaks. This complexity highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms influencing dengue epidemics.

Learning from Two Early Brownfield Redevelopment Projects in Italy: Soil Desealing, Cooling Effects, and Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions Through Traditional Planning Tools

Consideration of the future fate of brownfields in urban environments has driven a complex ‘season’ of decisions, planning, and implementation that has seen the emergence of different approaches and actions for their reuse. Among the various experiences of brownfield redevelopment, some projects have also promoted the partial renaturalisation of areas through soil desealing and demolition of existing buildings. These greening initiatives have provided new public facilities, e.g., parks and green areas, helping to improve the conditions of urban environments both from ecological and social perspectives. This article adopts ex ante and ex post methods to analyse two Italian case studies of brownfield regeneration involving desealing interventions and investigates two key aspects: (i) the planning process and tools that were put in place to implement the projects and (ii) the impacts for human wellbeing that were produced in terms of cooling effects. The analyses conducted show the real effectiveness of renaturation interventions especially related to reforestation measures in terms of temperature reduction. The examination of the two case studies also revealed the importance and potential success of traditional planning and implementation tools in promoting interventions that can now be considered innovative in terms of their actual contribution to current urban challenges. The results therefore allow us to emphasize the fundamental importance of the philosophy and basic principles of a transformation process, even guided by traditional planning tools, for the improvement of the environmental conditions of an urban context and the successful implementation of nature-based solutions.

Prototype Design IoT Based Air Quality Monitoring Tool for Urban Environment

In rapidly urban environments, air quality has become an important issue that affects public health and the environment. This research aims to design and implement a prototype of an IoT-based air quality monitoring device that can be used to monitor air conditions in urban environments. This prototype uses the DHT11 sensor for measuring temperature and humidity, the MQ135 sensor to detect the concentration of air pollutants such as CO, CO2, ALCOHOL, TOLUENE, NH4, and ACETONE, and an OLED LCD for displaying information. This system uses the NodeMCU ESP8266 as a microcontroller that connects devices to the internet and sends data to the Blynk application platform. The Blynk application serves as a user interface that allows for real-time monitoring of the device through a smartphone. With this system, users can obtain real-time air quality data to protect health and the environment in urban areas. The prototype evaluation shows that this system is effective in monitoring and displaying air quality information, as well as providing easy access to data through the Blynk application.

Exploring Bark‐Water Interaction Effects on Stemflow Nutrient Concentrations in Urban Trees

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the influence of bark properties on nutrient fluxes in urban environments, focusing on the relationship between bark wettability, chemical composition, and the concentrations of nutrients in stemflow and adjacent soil across eight urban tree species. Through a comprehensive analysis involving chemical assays and ecohydrological measurements, we explored how variations in bark characteristics affect water interaction and subsequent chemical dynamics within urban landscapes. Contrary to the initial hypothesis that bark properties would significantly influence nutrient flux, results revealed a complex scenario where environmental and anthropogenic factors in urban settings seemingly overshadow the direct impact of bark characteristics on nutrient dynamics. Our findings indicate that while bark properties such as wettability and chemical composition do vary among tree species, these variations do not directly correlate with significant differences in stemflow or soil nutrient concentrations. This suggests a homogenising effect of urban environments on ecohydrological processes, highlighting the need for a broader understanding of urban forest ecology that incorporates both biological traits and urban‐specific environmental influences. This research contributes to the field of urban ecohydrology by underscoring the complexity of nutrient fluxes in urban forests and suggesting that effective urban tree management requires an integrated approach that considers the interplay between tree physiological traits and urban environmental conditions. Our study calls for further research to unravel the intricate dynamics of urban ecosystems, aiming to enhance the sustainability and ecological benefits of urban forests.

Recent Trends in Air Pollution in the Most Important City of The Romanian Black Sea Coast

Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental issues of contemporary society, affecting virtually all major cities worldwide, including those in Romania. Consequently, evaluating the dynamics of pollution conditions in urban environments is essential for designing control measures and adaptation strategies to this environmental disruption. This paper aims to analyze the recent dynamics of pollution and air quality in Constanta, the largest city on the Romanian coastline and one of the most important cities along the entire Black Sea coast. The investigations were based on the official concentrations of major atmospheric pollutants recorded at air quality monitoring stations located within or near Constanta. The dynamics of pollutant concentrations were explored at annual and seasonal levels, and the results showed a mixed picture of changes in the atmospheric pollutant concentrations, in recent years. Essentially, the findings highlighted both increases and decreases in air pollution conditions, emphasizing the need for constant air quality monitoring and controlling throughout Constanta city.

Study of the safety of gabion structures in the conditions of urban environment

Study of the safety of gabion structures in the conditions of urban environment

Female leaders as environmental saviors: Tackling urban pollution in Chinese cities

Female leaders as environmental saviors: Tackling urban pollution in Chinese cities

Construction Mechanical Characteristics and Monitoring Analysis of the Existing Subway over the Newly Built Long Foundation Pit

In view of the safety of the construction of the long foundation pit of the new upper span to the existing subway under urban complex environment conditions, combined with the construction of the intersection section of the first line of the existing subway across the north–south Expressway in Shenyang, the mechanical properties during construction were studied by means of numerical simulation and on-site monitoring. The results showed that the general deformation characteristic of the existing metro tunnel was “uplift first, then restrain”. The local deformation characteristic was an unloading rebound in the cross region, and a compression deformation occurs outside the cross region. The index could be controlled in the range of the control value of the existing line protection by adopting the measures consisting of an uplift pile + capping beam balance, reinforcing the surrounding soil, the excavation of the foundation pit in sections, and the comprehensive construction.

Evaluating cooling effect of blue-green infrastructure on urban thermal environment in a metropolitan city: Using geospatial and machine learning techniques

Evaluating cooling effect of blue-green infrastructure on urban thermal environment in a metropolitan city: Using geospatial and machine learning techniques

Ensuring the stability of deep boilers of high-rise buildings

In today's conditions, the development of underground space can rightly be considered one of the most important and dynamic directions in civil and industrial construction at the worldlevel. In Ukraine, underground construction is important in connection with Russia's aggressive war. Underground and buried structures are most actively built in large cities and megacities. The main reasons for the need to use underground space in cities include the lack of free territories within historically formed buildings and requirements for urban infrastructure development. Today, the underground space is used not onlyfor the placement of engineering communicationsand transport facilities, but also for the construction of public complexes, multi-story underground garages and parking lots, shopping centers, as well asburied parts of residential and office buildings. Structural solutions for underground and buried structures, as well as their construction methods, depend on spatial planning solutions, purpose, depth of laying, engineering-geological, climatic and seismic construction conditions, surface loads, and the proximity of other buildings and buildings. Today, the maximum depth of pits designed inurban conditions usually do not exceed 25-30 m, and the number of underground floors is five to six. Given the growing demand for underground space, especially in densely populated areas, designers and engineers face a number of challengesthat require innovative approaches and modern technologies. This includes the use of the latest methods of geotechnical modeling, the use of highquality materials that ensure the durability and safety of structures, and the implementation of effective water drainage and waterproofing systems. Particular attention should be paid to safety issues during the construction and operation of underground structures, as they may be exposed to natural and man-made factors, such as groundwater, soil movement, and seismic activity. An important aspect is also the provision of comfortable conditions for people using underground facilities, which includes ventilation, lighting and evacuation routes. Scientific research and the experience of international projects demonstrate that the correct use of underground space can significantly increase the efficiency of the use of urban areas, contribute to the steady development of cities and improve the quality of life of their residents. Investments in underground construction are becoming more and more justified in view of the long-term benefits and theneed to adapt to the conditions of the modern urban environment. In general, underground construction is an important direction that has significant potential for development and improvement in the future, responding to the challenges of time and contributing to the development of modern infrastructure.

Under the Image of Urban Identity and Non-mainstream Cities under the New Media

With the diversified development of media and media platforms, city brand building has entered a new stage, and some cities have achieved remarkable development results, while some cities with large development space in natural resources, humanities and culture have failed to achieve development leaps. In this paper, the city with beautiful urban environment, rich resources and good development conditions is positioned as "non-mainstream city". This paper aims to explore the recognition degree of "non-mainstream cities" with development potential in people's minds, and take Taiyuan City of Shanxi Province as one of such cities to understand and analyze their development status, the audience's cognition degree of brand positioning of these cities and the shortcomings of current development through questionnaires and other means, and propose corresponding solutions from the aspect of media communication. Guide such cities to improve the visibility and recognition of cities by clarifying brand positioning, making full use of their natural resources and historical and cultural resources to explore urban characteristics, strengthening the integration of culture and tourism, and improving communication strategies, and at the same time improve the quality and efficiency of urban brand construction. Through the influence of media platforms, increase the exposure of these potential cities in the public sphere, extend the urban characteristics and reach a wider audience, realize the three-dimensional communication of the city brand image, help the formation of a good urban spirit and the prosperity and development of a variety of cities, and provide guidelines for more cities in brand construction. This article has certain reference value for the media communication strategy, the perfection of government functions, the construction of social spiritual culture and material civilization, and the coordinated development of countries and regions.

Urban Life Affects Differentiation and Phenotypic Variation but not Asymmetry in a Fully Terrestrial Salamander

The environmental transformations associated with cities are expected to affect organisms at the demographic, phenotypic, and evolutionary level, often negatively. The prompt detection of stressed populations before their viability is compromised is essential to understand species’ responses to novel conditions and to integrate urbanization with biodiversity preservation. The presumably stressful conditions of urban environments are expected to affect organisms’ developmental pathways, resulting in a reduction of the efficacy of developmental stability and canalization processes, which can be observed as increased Fluctuating Asymmetry (FA) and Phenotypic Variance (PV), respectively. Here, we investigated whether patterns of phenotypic variation of urban populations of a fully terrestrial salamander, Salamandra salamandra bernardezi, are affected by urban settings compared to surrounding native forest populations. We sampled populations within and around the city of Oviedo (northern Spain) and used geometric morphometrics to compare morphological differentiation, head shape deviance from the allometric slope, PV, and FA. We also compared morphological patterns with neutral genetic and structure patterns. We observed increased levels of differentiation among urban populations and in PV within certain of them, yet no differences in allometric deviance and FA were detected between habitats, and no morphological measures were found to be correlated with genetic traits. Our results do not support a clear negative impact of urban conditions over salamander populations, but rather suggest that other ecological and evolutionary local processes influence morphological variation in this urban system.