Green Space Coverage Research Articles

Effects of neighborhood green space on PM2.5 mitigation: Evidence from five megacities in China

Airborne particulate matter (PM) has been a major threat to air quality and public health in major cities in China for more than a decade. Green space has been deemed to be effective in mitigating PM pollution; however, few studies have examined its effectiveness at the neighborhood scale. In this study, the authors probe the contributions from different landscape components in the green space (i.e., tree, grass), as well as the spatial scale of planning on fine PM (PM2.5) concentrations in urban neighborhoods. PM2.5 data including 37 samples from five megacities were collected from the National Environmental Monitoring Centre in China. Results showed that, neighborhood green space greatly contributed to the spatial variation in PM2.5. The total green space coverage, tree coverage, and grass coverage were all negatively correlated with PM2.5 concentration (p < 0.05). The higher green space coverage the site had, the lower the daily mean, daily minimum, and daily maximum of PM2.5 concentration were there. Tree coverage, in particular, was effective in reducing the PM2.5 concentrations, and, more importantly, its effectiveness was more significant with the higher ambient PM2.5 level. According to the examination on the effect of spatial scale, the capability for a neighborhood green space to attenuate PM2.5 pollution would be vanished when its size smaller than 200 m, and would be maximized when its size within 400–500 m. These results will contribute to the evidence-based design and management of green space to mitigating urban PM pollution.

Tree cover shows an inverse relationship with depressive symptoms in elderly residents living in U.S. nursing homes

People who live near more greenspace report less anxiety and depression. Do these findings hold for elderly populations living in care facilities, such as nursing homes? The answer to this question has not been directly examined. Studies on the relationship between greenspace and mental health in this population have focused on nature-based therapy programs rather than on greenspace coverage. Research on outdoor greenspace coverage is important for facility design. Facilities should know whether to prioritize greening investments in indoor atriums where programming can be provided year-round or in outdoor greenspace, which can also promote health by providing restorative views and reducing harmful exposures (e.g., noise and air pollution). To investigate whether nursing homes residents benefit from outdoor greenspace cover, we examined the relationship between tree canopy cover around 9186 U.S. nursing homes and the percentage of residents suffering from depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms data were obtained from the 2011 Minimum Data Set, and canopy data were obtained from the 2011 National Land Cover Database. Because facilities with more resources and higher qualities of care might also have more trees, we gathered 2011 data on occupancy rates, staffing ratios, age, sex, percent Medicaid eligibility, care needs, for-profit status, presence of special care units from the Long Term Care Focus dataset as well as air quality and population density and used these potential covariates in adjusted generalized linear mixed models and spatial lag models. We observed an inverse relationship between depressive symptoms and tree cover surrounding facilities. Associations did not vary by aggregated racial or socioeconomic characteristics of residents but did became weaker at greater distances from facilities. These findings provide hypotheses for future testing regarding whether nursing homes should incorporate outdoor greening in addition to nature-based therapy programs for residents’ mental health.

The Effect of Rapid Population Growth on Urban Expansion and Destruction of Green Space in Tehran from 1972 to 2017

Time series analysis of satellite data is a very powerful tool for change detection applications especially for monitoring urban expansion. Urban expansion results in an accelerating proportion of the population living in cities and caused considerable effects on green space structures and areas. Many methods and models have been tested to determine urban expansion. In this paper, after computing the Tehran area and its green space coverage, the relationship between the population with urban expansion and green space coverage is estimated by regression analysis. As a consequence of Tehran texture and dataset for processing, raster to vector conversion was the most effective method for computing urban area, and also green space coverage was determined with normalized difference vegetation index. Machine learning algorithms such as support vector regression (SVR) and random forest (nonparametric method) were utilized to estimate green space coverage and urban area, respectively. Although RF model improves the accuracy of estimated population (R2 = 0.97, RMSE = 38.18, and MAE = 83.44), the use of SVR model considerably improves the estimation of green space coverage (R2 = 0.93, RMSE = 47.12, and MAE = 100.18) as well.

Association between urban green space and the risk of cardiovascular disease: A longitudinal study in seven Korean metropolitan areas

PurposeFew previous studies have investigated the association between urban green space and cardiovascular disease (CVD) within Asian populations. We aimed to determine the relationship between amount of green space in the residential environment and CVD within a large general Asian population in this population-based longitudinal study. MethodsThe study population consisted of 351,409 participants aged over 20 years extracted from the National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort. Data on newly-occurred CVD events were collected from hospital admission records for the period 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2013. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used for determining the risk of developing CVD according to urban green space coverage (% area), adjusting for a number of relevant confounders. ResultsCompared to those within the lowest quartile of green space coverage, those within the highest quartile of urban space had a reduced risk of total CVD (hazard ratio, HR 0.85, 95% confidence interval, CI 0.81–0.89), coronary heart disease (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.78–0.89), acute myocardial infarction (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.68–0.88), total stroke (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.82–0.93) and ischemic stroke (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80–0.94), but not hemorrhagic stroke (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.86–1.12). The risk-reducing effect of green space coverage was preserved after stratification according to sex, household income, and Charlson comorbidity index. ConclusionResiding in urban regions with greater green space coverage may lead to a reduced risk of CVD. Urban planning intervention policies that increase urban green space coverage could help to reduce the risk of CVD.

Should I stay or should I go? Modelling the fluxes of urban residents to visit green spaces

In an increasingly urbanized world, urban green spaces (UGS) are critical for ensuring residents’ health and well-being, due to the ecosystem services provided. Urban planning is being instigated to maximize the potential of UGS to increase responsiveness to major societal and environmental challenges and emerging policy demands. While city-wide perspectives can guide the cities’ governance approach, a more local approach is required to optimize local planning and management of UGS. In this paper we aim to identify the spatial patterns of UGS uses in Lisbon city, Portugal. Specifically, we ask if urban residents have equal accessibility to UGS within their residential zip area and what are the key factors related to residents’ decisions to visit UGS within or outside their zip. We used a Public Participation GIS to collect spatially explicit data about residents most frequented UGS. The survey was directed to respondents from different socio-demographic classes and areas of residence, by using different on-line communication channels, and conducted between February and April 2017. We collected data from 569 respondents, which corresponded to 2010 UGS locations. Our results show that resident’s do not have equitable accessibility to UGS, caused by the uneven distribution of green spaces within the city. We also found that the number of residents traveling for UGS outside their zip area (outflux) was significantly related to the green space coverage and vegetation heterogeneity in their own zip area. We found no significant relation between resident’s outflux and their sociodemographic characteristics. Our regression model determines that to have less than 50% of outflux Mediterranean cities need to have at least 25% of green space in a zip area. These results can support planners and decision-makers by providing guidance on how to identify areas of unequal accessibility and where to allocate efforts.

The influence of urban planning factors on PM2.5 pollution exposure and implications: A case study in China based on remote sensing, LBS, and GIS data

In recent years, haze pollution has become a serious environmental problem affecting cities in China. Reducing PM2.5 concentrations through urban planning is a promising method that has been a focus of recent multidisciplinary research. Most existing studies only analyze the relationship between urban planning factors and PM2.5 concentration, and it is difficult to accurately reflect residents' actual air pollution exposure without considering their space–time behaviors. This study uses satellite remote sensing and location service data to measure PM2.5 pollution exposure in Wuhan metropolitan area and explores the effects of urban spatial structure, land use, spatial form, transportation, and green space on pollution exposure. The results show that spatial structure, building density, road density, and green space coverage have a significant impact on PM2.5 pollution exposure. In addition, this study proposes corresponding implications for urban planning to improve public respiratory health.

Environmental public health risks in European metropolitan areas within the EURO-HEALTHY project

Urban areas in Europe are facing a range of environmental public health challenges, such as air pollution, traffic noise and road injuries. The identification and quantification of the public health risks associated with exposure to environmental conditions is important for prioritising policies and interventions that aim to diminish the risks and improve the health of the population. With this purpose in mind, the EURO-HEALTHY project used a consistent approach to assess the impact of key environmental risk factors and urban environmental determinants on public health in European metropolitan areas. A number of environmental public health indicators, which are closely tied to the physical and built environment, were identified through stakeholder consultation; data were collected from six European metropolitan areas (Athens, Barcelona, Lisbon, London, Stockholm and Turin) covering the period 2000–2014, and a health impact assessment framework enabled the quantification of health effects (attributable deaths) associated with these indicators. The key environmental public health indicators were related to air pollution and certain urban environmental conditions (urban green spaces, road safety). The air pollution was generally the highest environmental public health risk; the associated number of deaths in Athens, Barcelona and London ranged between 800 and 2300 attributable deaths per year. The number of victims of road traffic accidents and the associated deaths were lowest in the most recent year compared with previous years. We also examined the positive impacts on health associated with urban green spaces by calculating reduced mortality impacts for populations residing in areas with greater green space coverage; results in Athens showed reductions of all-cause mortality of 26 per 100,000 inhabitants for populations with benefits of local greenspace. Based on our analysis, we discuss recommendations of potential interventions that could be implemented to reduce the environmental public health risks in the European metropolitan areas covered by this study.

Spatial Variation of Urban Thermal Environment and Its Relation to Green Space Patterns: Implication to Sustainable Landscape Planning

The rapid changes of land covers in urban areas are one of major environmental concerns because of their environmental impacts. Such land cover changes include the transformation of green space to impervious surface, and the increase of land surface temperature (LST). The objective of this study was to examine the spatial variation of urban landscape composition and configuration, as well as their influences on LST in Suzhou City, China. Landsat-8 image was processed to extract land covers and retrieve LSTs that were used to study relationship between spatial variation of LST and land covers. The results indicated that there was a significantly negative correlation between mean LST and green space coverage along the urban–rural gradients. With every 10% increased green space coverage, the mean LST drop was about 1.41 °C. A grid-base analysis performed at various grid sizes indicated that an increase in the percentage of surface water body area has a greater cooling effect of the mean LST than a vegetation increase. The mean LST had a significantly negative correlation with both the shape and aggregation indexes of the green space patches. Our results suggest that the sustainable landscape planning of green space in a typical city with a large water area should include both the vegetation and the surface water covers. The increased percentage of vegetation and surface water covers had the greatest cooling effect on an urban thermal environment, which is one of the ecosystem services that green space provides. A dense distribution of green space patches with complex shapes should be considered in urban sustainable landscape planning for increasing ecosystem services.

Subjective perception of noise exposure in relation to urban green space availability

Noise pollution has been recognized as one of major threats to the health of urban residents. Increasing green space availability can create a natural buffer to the adverse effects of living in an urban environment. These positive effects of urban green space can be directly related to an objective reduction of noise levels and – indirectly – to the subjective perception of noise exposure. In our study carried out in Lodz, Poland, we explored the relationship between objective noise levels and the subjective perception of noise exposure by urban residents in relation to urban green space availability. We refer to objective noise exposure expressed as GIS modelled Lden derived from noise maps (compliant with the Environmental Noise Directive, 2002/49/EC), and subjective (self-reported) perception of noise exposure as declared in a questionnaire-based survey. We compared the percentage of green space in a buffer, the objectively measured noise level, and the perceived exposure to noise to find the most appropriate radius of the green space buffer. We decided to choose the green space coverage which is not correlated with an objective noise level to avoid potential multicollinearity in regression models. This contrasts with most studies, in which the radius of the buffer is set a priori. We thus compared the selected buffer of green space coverage – 300 m (representing green space availability) – with perceived noise exposure. We used the spatial error probit model to differentiate the impacts of objective and subjective noise indicators, at the same time including also the factor of green space availability. We found out that the direct effect of objectively measured noise levels, education, the presence of noisy neighbours, and building characteristics were the most important variables influencing the self-reported perception of noise by urban residents. The indirect effect of green space availability on noise perception was not strong, yet statistically significant. Although our study does not provide clear-cut evidence, it indicates that the indirect, psychological effects of urban green spaces can positively affect the life satisfaction of urban residents.

Assessment and optimization of green space for urban transformation in resources-based city – A case study of Lengshuijiang city, China

Urbanization in China has changed gradually from production-oriented to consumption-oriented in recent years. Comfort and accessibility of green infrastructures effect the rate of urbanization and transformation. A well designed urban green space system is an essential part of the urbanization process. In this paper, the urban green space of Lengshuijiang city was assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively using data of field survey and high resolution remote sensing. In the study area, green space coverage was 37.14%, green space percentage was 33.45% and per capita park green space was 16.25 m2. The high green space coverage suggested that there were ample potentials for further urban transformation. Within a 30 min service radius of existing green space, total service area was 204.49 ha, which accounted for 16.26% of the study area. A high proportion of the green space was made up of urban parks which were unevenly distributed across the study area. A green space optimization strategy, aimed at improving green space quality and accessibility, was proposed. After optimization, total service areas within the 30 min service radius will increase to 492 ha (39.12%), an increase of 22.86%. Our study demonstrated that combining qualitative and quantitative methods is an effective and reliable way for green space assessment and reliable and can be used for urban green space planning and management for small resource-based cities like Lengshuijiang in its process of urban transformation.

Residential Green Space Quantity and Quality and Child Well-being: A Longitudinal Study

There are few studies on the potential benefits of green space quantity and quality for child well-being. The authors hypothesized that more and better quality residential green space would be favorable for well-being and that these associations could be subject to effect modification across childhood. Multilevel linear regression adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic confounders was used to track change in well-being (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Total Difficulties Score and "internalizing" and "externalizing" subscales) across five separate occasions among a cohort of 4,968 Australian children aged 4-5 years beginning in 2004. Well-being was assessed with respect to objectively measured green space quantity and parent-reported green space quality, with interaction terms fitted with age to assess for potential effect modification. Data were analyzed in 2015. Non-linear dose-response associations were observed for favorable well-being in relation to larger quantities of green space and also green space judged to be higher in quality. Favorable perceptions of green space quality were associated with larger quantities of green space regardless of neighborhood socioeconomic circumstances. Benefits for well-being appeared to top out at 21%-40% green space coverage and were reasonably consistent across childhood. Inequality in well-being (especially the internalizing subscale) emerged as children aged in relation to green space quality. Approximately 21%-40% of residential land-use allocated to green space may be an optimal amount for promoting child well-being, but the quality of this green space increases in importance as children age.

The impact of urban green space on health in Berlin, Germany: Empirical findings and implications for urban planning

This study investigates the impact of residential access to urban green space (UGS) on self-reported health (SRH) in Berlin, Germany. Using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), survey data and Urban Atlas land cover data, we calculated the Euclidean distance between 874 respondents’ georeferenced home locations and the closest edge of the nearest green space as well as the spatial coverage of green space within a 250 m buffer around the place of living. These measures serve as proxies for residential access to UGS. Using linear regression models, we find both, decreasing Euclidean distances to the nearest green space and increasing spatial coverages of UGS significantly contributing to SRH. Furthermore, we find spatial coverages of UGS of less than 2.5% and Euclidean distances of at least 200 m to the nearest green space to have negative impacts on SRH if compared to observations having largest spatial coverages of UGS around their home locations and shortest distances to the nearest green space, respectively. Based on these findings, we identify 437 of Berlin’s 447 planning units that provide access to UGS negatively affecting SRH of which 297 are used for residential purposes primarily. Our results provide useful information for policy makers and urban planners on the impact of UGS on health and adequate green space provision.

Quantitative estimation of 21st-century urban greenspace changes in Chinese populous cities

Understanding the spatiotemporal changes of urban greenspace is a critical requirement for supporting urban planning and maintaining the function of urbanities. Although plenty of previous studies have attempted to estimate urban greenspace changes in China, there still remain shortcomings such as inconsistent surveying procedures and insufficient spatial resolution and city samples. Using cloud-free Landsat image composites in circa years 2000 and 2014, and Defense Meteorological Program Satellite Program's Operational Line-scan System (DMSP/OLS) nighttime lights dataset, we quantitatively estimated the urban greenspace changes regarding both administrative divisions and urban core boundaries across 98 Chinese populous cities. Results showed that a consistent decline of urban greenspace coverage was identified at both old and new urban areas in the majority of analyzed cities (i.e., 81.63% of cities regarding the administrative boundaries, and 86.73% of cities regarding the urban core boundaries). Partial correlation analysis also revealed that total urban greenspace area shrank as a linear function of the core urban expansion (R2=0.28, P<0.001), and a significant correlation was confirmed between population change and urban greenspace change across those Chinese populous cities included in this study (R2=0.11, P<0.001).

An Ecological Study of the Association between Area-Level Green Space and Adult Mortality in Hong Kong

There is evidence that access to green spaces have positive effects on health, possibly through beneficial effects on exercise, air quality, urban heat islands, and stress. Few previous studies have examined the associations between green space and mortality, and they have given inconsistent results. This ecological study relates green space to mortality in Hong Kong from 2006 to 2011. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a measure of green space coverage, was measured for 199 small geographic areas in Hong Kong. Negative Binomial Regression Models were fit for mortality outcomes with NDVI, age, gender, population density, and area-level socio-economic variables as predictors, with Generalized Estimating Equations used to control for within-cluster correlation. An interquartile range (0.44 units) higher NDVI was significantly associated with lower cardiovascular (relative risk (RR) = 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.80, 0.98) and diabetes (RR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.60, 0.92) mortality, and non-significantly associated with lower chronic respiratory mortality (RR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.79, 1.02). Associations were stronger for males and low-income area residents. Lung cancer mortality had no significant association with green space. Better provision of urban green space, particularly in low-income areas, appears to have potential to reduce mortality in densely-populated Asian cities.

Neighbouring green space and mortality in community-dwelling elderly Hong Kong Chinese: a cohort study

ObjectiveGreen space has been shown to be beneficial for human wellness through multiple pathways. This study aimed to explore the contributions of neighbouring green space to cause-specific mortality.MethodsData from 3544...

Dynamics of Hierarchical Urban Green Space Patches and Implications for Management Policy.

Accurately quantifying the variation of urban green space is the prerequisite for fully understanding its ecosystem services. However, knowledge about the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban green space is still insufficient due to multiple challenges that remain in mapping green spaces within heterogeneous urban environments. This paper uses the city of Hangzhou to demonstrate an analysis methodology that integrates sub-pixel mapping technology and landscape analysis to fully investigate the spatiotemporal pattern and variation of hierarchical urban green space patches. Firstly, multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis was applied to time series Landsat data to derive green space coverage at the sub-pixel level. Landscape metric analysis was then employed to characterize the variation pattern of urban green space patches. Results indicate that Hangzhou has experienced a significant loss of urban greenness, producing a more fragmented and isolated vegetation landscape. Additionally, a remarkable amelioration of urban greenness occurred in the city core from 2002 to 2013, characterized by the significant increase of small-sized green space patches. The green space network has been formed as a consequence of new urban greening strategies in Hangzhou. These strategies have greatly fragmented the built-up areas and enriched the diversity of the urban landscape. Gradient analysis further revealed a distinct pattern of urban green space landscape variation in the process of urbanization. By integrating both sub-pixel mapping technology and landscape analysis, our approach revealed the subtle variation of urban green space patches which are otherwise easy to overlook. Findings from this study will help us to refine our understanding of the evolution of heterogeneous urban environments.

Is Neighborhood Green Space Protective Against Associations Between Child Asthma, Neighborhood Traffic Volume and Area Safety? Multilevel Analysis of 4,447 Australian Children

Background Evidence on the association between green space and child asthma is equivocal. The aim of this paper was to determine the extent that higher quantities of green space buffer associations between child asthma and traffic volume (air pollution surrogate) and/or a perceived lack of area safety. Methods Multilevel models were used to analyze affirmative asthma cases in nationally representative cross-sectional data from 4,447 children aged 6-7 years old in Australia. Case-finding of affirmative asthma was based upon a triangulation of affirmative responses to three questions on doctor-diagnosed asthma, asthma-related medications and illness with wheezing lasting for at least 1 week within 12 months prior to the survey. Buffering was tested via interactions between green space quantity and (i) parent-reported traffic volume or (ii) perceived lack of area safety. Results Asthma prevalence was lower in areas with more green space for participants considered to be exposed to heavy traffic and also regardless of area safety. Among participants considered to be exposed to high traffic volumes and areas with 0% to 20% green space quantity, the odds of affirmative asthma were 1.88 (95%CI 1.38 to 2.56). However, those odds dropped to 0.31 (95%CI 0.12 to 0.82) for participants living in areas with over 40% green space coverage, despite also being in proximity of heavy traffic. No association between affirmative asthma and green space coverage was observed for participants not exposed to heavy traffic, nor for the area safety variable. Conclusions Protecting existing and investing in new green space may help to promote child respiratory health through the buffering of traffic-related air pollution concentrations.

Does the Potential Benefit of Neighbourhood Green Space for Body Mass Index Depend upon Socioeconomic Circumstances and Local Built and Transport Environments? A Test of the ‘Equigenesis’ Hypothesis in Australia

Background Recent studies have hypothesised that green spaces may help to narrow socioeconomic inequities in cardiovascular mortality and mental health (so-called “equigenesis”). To date, no testing of this hypothesis has been applied to body mass index (BMI), an important determinant of cardiovascular mortality and mental health. Nor have previous studies taken into account the potential for effect measure modification by measures of green space quality or other aspects of the built environment, such as public transport infrastructure. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for equigenesis and other forms of effect measure modification with respect to BMI. Methods Multilevel models were used to analyze BMI in relation to an objective measure of neighbourhood green space quantity among 3684 mothers in wave 5 cohort k of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. A two-way interaction between green space quantity and neighbourhood disadvantage was fitted to examine the equigenesis hypothesis. Two-way interactions were also examined with respect to green space quantity and perceived indicators of green space quality, local services, access to public transport, presence of heavy traffic and indicators of area safety and social capital. Results Compared to mothers living in areas with 0 to 10% green space coverage, those in areas with 11% to 21% and >21% had lower mean BMI of -0.44kg/m2 (95%CI -0.96 to 0.07) and -0.90kg/m2 (95%CI -1.40 to -0.41), respectively. These associations were robust to controls for age, highest educational qualification, employment status, age and gender of the child, neighbourhood disadvantage and area remoteness. Green space quality was not associated with BMI and did not influence the association with green space quantity. Adjustment for other perceived neighbourhood variables similarly did not have an impact on the association between BMI and green space quantity. Fitting a two-way interaction between green space quantity and neighbourhood disadvantage did not result in meaningful evidence of effect measure modification. Conclusions The results from this study indicate that higher objectively-measured quantities of green space may be beneficial for BMI among women regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances. These findings do not support the equigenesis hypothesis. Green space quality may be less important than overall coverage. Perceived indicators of local built environment, such as busy roads and presence of public transport, similarly did not appear to modify the potential benefits of green space quantity for lower BMI.

Is Neighborhood Green Space Protective against Associations between Child Asthma, Neighborhood Traffic Volume and Perceived Lack of Area Safety? Multilevel Analysis of 4447 Australian Children.

Heavy traffic is a source of air pollution and a safety concern with important public health implications. We investigated whether green space lowers child asthma risk by buffering the effects of heavy traffic and a lack of neighborhood safety. Multilevel models were used to analyze affirmative asthma cases in nationally representative cross-sectional data from 4447 children aged 6–7 years old in Australia. Case-finding was based upon a triangulation of affirmative responses to three questions on doctor-diagnosed asthma, asthma-related medications and illness with wheezing lasting for at least 1 week within the 12 months prior. Among children considered to be exposed to high traffic volumes and areas with 0 to 20% green space quantity, the odds ratio of affirmative asthma was 1.87 (95% CI 1.37 to 2.55). However, the association between heavy traffic and asthma was significantly lower for participants living in areas with over 40% green space coverage (odds ratio for interaction 0.32, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.84). No association between affirmative asthma and green space coverage was observed for participants not exposed to heavy traffic, nor for the area safety variable. Protecting existing and investing in new green space may help to promote child respiratory health through the buffering of traffic-related air pollution.

Relationship between green space-related morphology and noise pollution

Green spaces have been proved to have a positive effect on traffic noise pollution in the local scale; however their effects have not been explored on the urban level. This paper investigates the effects of green space-related parameters from a land cover viewpoint on traffic noise pollution in order to understand to what extent greener cities can also be quieter. A triple level analysis was conducted in the agglomeration, urban and kernel level including various case study cities across Europe. The green space parameters were calculated based on land cover data available in a European scale, while traffic noise data were extracted from online noise maps and configured in noise indices. In the first level 25 agglomerations were investigated, six of which were further analyzed in the urban and kernel levels. It was found that the effect of green spaces on traffic noise pollution varies according to the scale of analysis. In the agglomeration level, there was no significant difference in the cluster of the higher green space index and the percentage of people exposed in the lowest (55–59dB(A)) or the highest noise band of more than 70dB(A). In the urban level it was found that lower noise levels can possibly be achieved in cities with a higher extent of porosity and green space coverage. Finally, in the kernel level a Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) analysis was conducted for the identification of correlations between noise and green. Strong correlations were identified between 60% and 79%, while a further cluster analysis combined with land cover data revealed that lower noise levels were detected in the cluster with higher green space coverage. At last, all cities were ranked according to the calculated noise index.