Effects Of Urban Green Spaces Research Articles

Analysis of the cooling effects of urban green spaces in mitigating micro-climate change using geospatial techniques in Adama City, Ethiopia

Analysis of the cooling effects of urban green spaces in mitigating micro-climate change using geospatial techniques in Adama City, Ethiopia

Spatio−Temporal Changes and Key Driving Factors of Urban Green Space Configuration on Land Surface Temperature

Changes in land cover by rapid urbanization have diminished the cooling effect of urban green spaces (UGS), exacerbating the upward trend of land surface temperature (LST). A thorough and precise understanding of the spatio-temporal characteristics of UGS and LST is essential for mitigating localized high temperatures in cities. This study identified the spatio-temporal changes in UGS configuration and LST in Shanghai from 2003 to 2022. The correlation between UGS configuration and LST was explored using spatial autocorrelation analysis and causal inference. The results show that (1) the high-temperature space had grown from 721 km2 in 2003 to 3059 km2 in 2022; (2) in suburbs, the largest area of UGS tended to decrease, while the number of patches tended to increase, indicating a distinct feature of suburbanization; (3) changes in the largest area of UGS had more significant spatial correlation, indicating that urban sprawl primarily impacts large UGSs; and (4) compared to the number and shape of UGS, changes in the largest area are the key factor influencing regional LST. These findings enrich the knowledge of the spatio−temporal relationship between the UGS configuration and its cooling effect in urbanization, offering valuable insights for building cooler cities.

Investigating the Impact of Green Space Ratio and Layout on Bioaerosol Concentrations in Urban High-Density Areas: A Simulation Study in Beijing, China

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global development. Through bioaerosols emitted by human respiration, respiratory infectious diseases, including COVID-19, are transmitted. The bioaerosol concentrations can be affected by the urban climate and morphology. However, the effects of urban green spaces on bioaerosol concentrations remain unclear. Focusing on the dormitory area of Beijing Forestry University, this study first investigated the influence of different green space ratios on the average bioaerosol concentrations using the ENVI-met software. Moreover, both overall and local green space layouts were analyzed for their impact on bioaerosol concentrations. The results indicated that ventilation conditions were the primary factor influencing bioaerosol concentrations. During peak congestion, a 10% increase in the green space ratio resulted in a 2% rise in the average bioaerosol concentration. Furthermore, a distributed layout resulted in a 1.3% higher average bioaerosol concentration than a concentrated layout with an equivalent green space ratio. Enacting strategies such as Roadside Green Spaces Retreat, Road Spaces Expansion, and Intersection Green Spaces Chamfering led to reductions in local bioaerosol concentrations by up to 17.7%, 18.44%, and 12.69%, respectively. This study highlights the importance of adjusting green space layouts in urban high-density areas after the pandemic, reducing the risk of population exposure to bioaerosol concentrations.

LULC dynamics and the effects of urban green spaces in cooling and mitigating micro-climate change and urban heat island effects: a case study in Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia

Abstract Land surface temperature (LST) increment and Urban Heat Island (UHI) variability are major urban climatology issues in urban development. Urban green spaces (UGSs) play a vital role in combating micro-climate change. This study assesses the effects of UGS in cooling and mitigating micro-climate change in Addis Ababa City. Remotely sensed data from Landsat5 TM (1990), Landsat7 ETM+ (2005), and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS (2021) were used. LST was retrieved using mono-window and split-window algorithms. Regression and correlation analysis of LST and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were performed in SPSS V23. Results show that UGS proportion decreased from 120.4 km2 in 1990 to 76.26 km2 in 2021. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that built-up and green vegetation accounted for 92.2% of LST variations in Addis Ababa City. Cooling efficiency (CE) and threshold value (TVoE) of green space were calculated as 4.5 ± 0.5 ha, indicating that allocating a green space area of 4.5 ± 0.5 ha through urban planning is the most efficient in reducing heat effects. Strengthening public participation in urban greening is crucial for mitigating micro-climate change and promoting sustainable urban development and better quality of life.

The regulation effect of urban green space on air particulate matter concentration under different matrices in Xi'an city

The regulation effect of urban green space on air particulate matter concentration under different matrices in Xi'an city

The effects of urban green space and road proximity to indoor traffic-related PM2.5, NO2, and BC exposure in inner-city schools.

Since there are known adverse health impacts of traffic-related air pollution, while at the same time there are potential health benefits from greenness, it is important to examine more closely the impacts of these factors on indoor air quality in urban schools. This study investigates the association of road proximity and urban greenness to indoor traffic-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and black carbon (BC) in inner-city schools. PM2.5, NO2, and BC were measured indoors at 74 schools and outdoors at a central urban over a 10-year period. Seasonal urban greenness was estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) with 270 and 1230 m buffers. The associations between indoor traffic-related air pollution and road proximity and greenness were investigated with mixed-effects models. The analysis showed linear decays of indoor traffic-related PM2.5, NO2, and BC by 60%, 35%, and 22%, respectively for schools located at a greater distance from major roads. The results further showed that surrounding school greenness at 270 m buffer was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with lower indoor traffic-related PM2.5: -0.068 (95% CI: -0.124, -0.013), NO2: -0.139 (95% CI: -0.185, -0.092), and BC: -0.060 (95% CI: -0.115, -0.005). These associations were stronger for surrounding greenness at a greater distance from the schools (buffer 1230 m) PM2.5: -0.101 (95% CI: -0.156, -0.046) NO2: -0.122 (95% CI: -0.169, -0.075) BC: -0.080 (95% CI: -0.136, -0.026). These inverse associations were stronger after fully adjusting for regional pollution and meteorological conditions. More than 90% of children under the age of 15 worldwide are exposed to elevated air pollution levels exceeding the WHO's guidelines. The study investigates the impact that urban infrastructure and greenness, in particular green areas and road proximity, have on indoor exposures to traffic-related PM2.5, NO2, and BC in inner-city schools. By examining a 10-year period the study provides insights for air quality management, into how road proximity and greenness at different buffers from the school locations can affect indoor exposure.

Demand-side effects of urban green spaces: How attractiveness helps overcome subjective barriers to health behaviours

The contribution of Urban Green Spaces (UGSs) to public health is a critical topic. Existing research predominantly examines the relationship between enhanced UGSs characteristics — such as availability, accessibility, and usability — and residents’ health, highlighting how these attributes can mitigate objective barriers to health behaviours in UGSs from a supply-side perspective. However, few studies have explored the demand-side effects of UGSs, particularly in how potential visitors overcome subjective barriers to health behaviours. This study hypothesizes that Perceived UGSs Quality (PUGSQ), including attractive qualities like environmental aesthetics and open space publicness, promotes health behaviours in UGSs (HB_UGS) by enhancing residents’ self-efficacy in overcoming subjective barriers (OBSE). An online cross-sectional study was conducted in China in 2020, employing covariance structure analysis to examine the mediating role of OBSE between PUGSQ and HB_UGS. The findings indicate that augmenting PUGSQ bolsters potential visitors’ belief in their ability to overcome subjective barriers to visiting UGSs or participating in activities therein, thereby promoting sustained and regular health behaviours. The mediation model is applicable across varying activity intensities and whether activities are undertaken alone or in groups. OBSE demonstrates a partial mediating effect in the low-activity-intensity group, and full mediating effects in the medium-high-activity-intensity group, the lone activity group and the collective activity group. These results suggest that, in addition to the well-documented passive role of UGSs in health promotion from a supply-side perspective — which predominantly engages visitors’ willpower resources — UGSs can also assume a more active role from a demand-side perspective. This active role involves mobilizing visitors’ desire resources and potentially lessening the strain on their willpower resources, thus offering a more nuanced understanding of UGS’s influence on health behaviours. The position of UGSs in health promotion thus rises from ‘just nice to have’ to ‘essential to have’.

Effects of urban green space (UGS) quality on physical activity (PA) and health, controlling for environmental factors

Recently, there has been a burgeoning fascination with the influence of urban green spaces (UGS) on physical activity (PA) and health. This interest has been accompanied by a mounting body of evidence that establishes a connection between UGS and residents’ PA levels. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the significance of UGS and have generally agreed on their connection with health. However, there is still considerable variation in viewpoints regarding the intermediate factors contributing to this association. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the potential correlation between different qualitative factors of UGS and PA. The study involved the collection of data from four parks located in Edinburgh. Four trained observers utilised the Environmental Assessment of Public Recreational Spaces (EARPS Mini) tool to code various environmental characteristics. Additionally, the Method for Observing Physical Activity and Wellbeing (MOHAWk) observation tool was employed to code instances of on-site incivility and the characteristics and behaviours of residents engaging in UGS activities. The results of this study show that the facilities and environment, area and socioeconomic status (SES) of UGS positively affect the type of PA and the level of PA, as well as influence residents’ attentiveness to the environment and their interactions with each other. Demographics such as gender and age group are also significantly related to the level and type of PA. Significant differences in the level and type of PA, and race only differed significantly in the choice of activity type. These results suggest that the quality of the UGS environment affects the level, type, and status of PA among residents and that resident characteristics also have an impact. Future research suggests increasing data collection related to PA frequency and PA duration and considering longitudinal observations over time for refinement.

Estimation and Differential Analysis of the Carbon Sink Service Radius of Urban Green Spaces in the Beijing Plain Area

Enhancing the carbon sink capacity of urban green spaces is considered an effective means of reducing carbon dioxide concentration. This study, employing xCO2 as a key indicator and utilizing buffer analysis, estimated the carbon sink service radius of urban green spaces. Using spatial zoning and multifactor analysis, this research statistically analyzed 15 indicators, exploring the differences in carbon sink service radius from both the dimensions of urban green spaces and urban zones. The findings indicate that the carbon sink service radius is a result of the combined effect of urban green spaces and adjacent urban areas. Urban green space area, the NPP (net primary productivity) of urban zones, forest proportion, and grassland proportion are positively correlated with the carbon sink service radius, and the correlation degree is 0.12, 0.095, 0.121, and 0.125, respectively. The proportion of grassland and the proportion of impervious area in the city have a significant negative correlation with the carbon sink service radius, and the correlation degree is −0.074 and −0.081, respectively. This research holds significant implications for enhancing the carbon sink capacity of urban green spaces, adjusting land use patterns, and promoting the sustainable development of cities.

The causal effect of urban green space on the mental health of different social groups using stratified analysis

The causal effect of urban green space on the mental health of different social groups using stratified analysis

The availability and visibility of animals moderate the association between green space and recreational walking: Using street view data

IntroductionAwareness is amounting that understanding the people-animal-environment relationships and further considering it in city design are important to make future cities and society more resilient and sustainable. The presence of green space stimulates recreational walking behaviour. Also, animals in urban outdoor spaces have a restorative effect. However, scant attention has been paid to whether and how green space and animals have a synergistic effect on recreational walking behaviour. MethodUsing survey data collected from 26 neighbourhoods in Guangzhou, China, this study is the first to explore the potential moderating effect of the availability and visibility of animals on the associations between green space and recreational walking behaviour using street view data and a machine learning approach. Multilevel linear and logistic regressions were used for the statistical analysis. ResultsResults showed that the quantity and quality of green space, and availability and visibility of animals were positively associated with recreational walking propensity and duration. Also, the availability and visibility of animals may strengthen the associations between green space and recreational walking behaviour. ConclusionsPolicymakers should consider animal-inclusive green space to maximize the beneficial effect of urban green space on recreational walking.

Effects of Urban Green Space's Physical Features on the Usability of Investment Housing Projects in Erbil City

In the quest to improve urban quality of life, creating functional and visually appealing urban green spaces plays a pivotal role. This study investigates the influence of five key physical characteristics—availability, maintenance, facilities, environment, and design—on the usability of urban green spaces in three case studies in Erbil: Italian City 2, Hewa City, and Ashti City 2 neighborhoods. The research aims to understand how urban green spaces impact investment housing projects, analyze the relationship between physical factors and urban design usability and explore individuals' perceptions regarding the influence of these factors on urban green space design. Through systematic observation and visual analysis of residential areas, the study reveals that these five physical qualities of green spaces consistently scored above 90%, indicating a strong alignment with usability elements. This suggests that these physical attributes significantly enhance the usability of urban green spaces, which, in turn, supports broader urban design goals. This research highlights the importance of integrating these physical characteristics when planning and designing urban green spaces, particularly within the context of investment housing projects in Erbil's case study neighborhoods. Such enhancements can positively impact urban development and residents' quality of life. Future research should delve into the long-term socio-economic effects of these green space improvments.

Modeling the cooling effect of urban green spaces: The neglected control variables of ‘soil moisture’ and ‘biotope types’

Cooling by plant evapotranspiration (ET) is a prominent ecosystem service provided by urban green spaces (UGSs). UGSs counteract the warming of cities during heat waves. This study presents a GIS model to quantitatively assess the cooling intensity (CI) of UGS units (biotope types) during heat waves at the landscape scale. We conceptualize the CI as a physical index based on the ET of UGSs. Cooling intensities are calculated using the ambient temperature, biotope types, soil characteristics, and initial soil water conditions at the beginning of a heat wave as inputs. We calibrated and validated the model against the surface temperature in the city of Bochum, Germany, based on the thermal band of an orthorectified and calibrated atmospheric-, temperature- and emissivity-corrected mosaic from an airborne hyperspectral scanner. The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient of the calibrated model is 0.75. The initial soil water content in the urban area affected the modeled CI by up to 2.6 K, and under the same transpiration rate, whether the initial ambient air temperature was 27 or 37 °C had effects of up to 2 K on the CI. The CI increased by up to 1 K with area size up to 2.5 ha. The purpose of the model was to evaluate and compare the CI of current and planned spatial patterns of land units to mitigate urban heat islands. The similar range of the goodness-of-fit criteria of the uncalibrated model compared to the calibrated model indicated the robustness and transferability of the model.

Effect of urban green space on parental sleep quality in the two years after childbirth

Abstract Background Green spaces are beneficial for sleep quality, particularly for maternal sleep quality, which in turn affects maternal health as well as the growth and development of offspring. However, few studies have examined the effect of green space on parental sleep quality, and even fewer have utilized the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This study thus aims to explore the impact of urban green spaces on parental sleep quality during the two years after childbirth. Methods Participants were selected from the Longitudinal Examination across Prenatal and Postpartum Health in Taiwan cohort study. The study recruited and followed participants from early pregnancy to 6 years postpartum at five hospitals in Taipei since 2011. Participants who had used hypnotics were excluded. Sleep quality was assessed using self-reported questions at 24 months postpartum. Urban greenness was assessed using NDVI within a designated radius (250, 750, and 1500m) of participants’ residences during both the pregnancy and postpartum. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results Out of the 804 pairs included in the analysis, we observed that an increase of 0.1 units in NDVI within a 1500m radius during pregnancy and postpartum periods (0-24 months) was associated with a 1.24 and 1.25-fold increase in maternal better sleep quality (95%CI:1.07,1.43 and 1.08, 1.43, respectively), after adjustment. These findings were consistent for both NDVI_250m and NDVI_750m. However, we did not find any association between NDVI and paternal sleep quality at any radius or time period. Conclusions We highlight a positive association between exposure to urban green spaces during perinatal periods and better maternal sleep quality. These findings have implications for parents in choosing their living environment, as well as for policymakers in urban planning and environmental improvement initiatives to promote both maternal and child health. Key messages • Urban green spaces have a positive impact on maternal sleep quality from pregnancy to postpartum periods. • The residential environment is critical to facilitate sleep quality and promote maternal and child health.

The impact of urban green space on the health of middle-aged and older adults.

Urban green space is one of the most closely related ecosystem services to residents' lives, and it can be regarded as a preventive public health measure. Residents living in parks and other green environments can help improve their physical and mental health, reduce stress and even prevent crime and violence. Therefore, based on the actual situation in China, this paper analyzes the relationship between urban green space and the health of middle-aged and older adults and its mechanisms. This study used multiple linear regression, based the data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2013, 2015, and 2018, to explore the relationship between urban green space and the health of middle-aged and older adults. At the same time, group regression was conducted to identify the heterogeneity of health effects of urban green space. The research shows that the increase of urban green space areas can significantly improve the health status of middle-aged and older adults. After a series of robustness tests, the results are still valid. In addition, the health effects of urban green space are different because of gender, age, education level, marital status residence, geographical location of the respondents and park quantity distribution. Further research found that reducing hot weather and optimizing air quality are the potential mechanisms of urban green space affecting the health of middle-aged and older adults, providing new evidence for the causal mechanism between urban green space and the health of middle-aged and older adults. This study expanded the research scope of the impact of urban green space on the health of middle-aged and older adults, covering a representative sample in China. The results show that urban green space has an important impact on the health of middle-aged and older adults. Policy suggestions are made to help cities optimize the landscape and residents to enjoy ecology.

Associations between greenspace characteristics and population emotion perceptions in three dimensions

Introduction: Mental disorders are considered to be the most significant threat to public health. Mitigation effects of urban green spaces have been widely documented. However, the conclusions are inconsistent because of the representativeness of the original data.Method: We measured the mental perception of urban green spaces using geospatial big data instead of field observation or questionnaire data. Street view data were applied to calculate urban green space characteristics in three dimensions.Results: The positive mental perception percentage around the chosen urban parks increased as the buffer diameter decreased. The temporal variations of positive mental perceptions around the selected urban parks exhibited an obvious peak-trough shape. The spatial associations between the positive mental perception percentage and urban green space characteristics varied geographically. The spatial associations became less similar as the spatial buffer diameter decreased. At the same spatial scale level, the green view played a dominant role in the spatial distribution of positive mental perceptions.Discussion: Shrinking the deviations of urban green space characteristics and increasing the mean and maximum values of urban green space characteristics will favor the improvement of public mental health. This study provides a reference for explaining ecological scientific questions using spatiotemporal big data. It also provides insights into the mechanisms underlying the relationship between ecological processes and public health.

Improving The Thermal Comfort Of The Structures By Applying The Sustainable Engineering Requirements

Modern thermal comfort theories recommend that a restricted temperature difference be evenly maintained throughout all architectural styles, regions, and people. This strategy treats structure inhabitants for heating purposes, resulting in thermal comfort criteria that necessitate power climate management measures. This frequently results in a high need for air conditioning. Initial investigation and new Technology, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Climate Control) advanced facilities are contesting conventional assumptions of thermal comfort criteria on the basis that they ignore main social and environmental comfort elements. In this paper the researcher took the effect of the modification in the design on the thermal comfort by several engineering solutions for reducing the total main radiant temperature (TMRT(, Potential air temperature (PAT), and the developing of the relative humidity (RH) with the wind speed (WS) Which are playing a significant role on improving the urban heat island (UHI) The research mainly aims to analyze the effect of urban green spaces on the urban heat island as a common strategy for improving the thermal comfort.

Perceptions of the health risk from hot days and the cooling effect of urban green spaces: a case study in Xi'an, China.

Hot days are one of the typical threats to human health and sustainable cities. The exploration of residents' perceptions of thermal environment and its mitigation measures will support the health risk prevention. A survey with a combination of closed-ended and open-ended questions was conducted in July 2021 among 13 urban parks in Xi'an City, China. With the help of ANOVA and ordinal logistic regression, this study investigated the influencing factors both on residents' health risk perception of hot days and their perception of the effect of urban ecological landscape on reducing the thermal risk. The relationship between health risk perception and residents' needs of urban ecological construction was also explored. According to 325 valid questionnaires, the male-female ratio of respondents was found to be 1:0.87, young people aged 18-29 (26.46%), the retirees (27.08%) and the ones with undergraduate education (33.23%) were, relatively, the largest groups. The results show that 92.31% of the respondents believed that their daily lives were under the influence of hot days. Housing types, occupation, cooling equipment at work, and outdoor working hours all had a significant impact on their high temperature perceptions. The proportion of respondents who were under a huge health risk and sought medical treatment due to hot days was 30.16% and 44.92%, respectively. Women were 18.52 and 2.33 times more likely to suffer health threats and experience discomforts than men. Furthermore, 73.23% of the respondents believed that the urban ecological landscapes in Xi'an had an enhanced cooling effect in recent years. Compared with the morphological characteristics, residents' recognition of the restriction of landscape's area on its cooling effect was higher, and the residence duration showed a significant influence. The cooling effect of green spaces and water effectively resisted urban thermal threats, and residents' needs of the urban ecological landscapes was associated with their health risk perceptions of hot days. In the future, it is necessary to promote the early warning of hot days, meanwhile, the optimization of landscape patterns of green infrastructures should be implemented in urban planning for the purposes of residents' health risk prevention.

The effect of urban greenspace on adolescent sleep patterns

We investigated the effects of long-term greenspace deprivation on sleep during adolescence. Using data from a UK birth cohort, we studied deviations from age-recommended sleep duration through Time Use Diaries. Our sample (N = 1370; 53% female) of urban adolescents had been exposed to the same levels of neighbourhood greenspace from birth up to age 14 years when their time use was tracked. We factored in sex and ethnicity, family income, long-term illness, sharing of a bedroom, access to a garden, as well as air pollution and perceived area safety. Even after full adjustment, there was a significant interaction between greenspace availability and income when predicting sleep duration, such that low-income adolescents living in the greyest urban areas were found to sleep more than the 8–10 h recommended for their age group, while the inverse was true for their counterparts living in areas with more greenspace.

Dry deposition effect of urban green spaces on ambient particulate matter pollution in China

Particulate matter (PM) is a major source of urban air pollution that poses a serious threat to the environment and human health. This study quantified the dry deposition effect of PM2.5 and PM10 on vegetation using a mathematical model to overcome the limitations of traditional site-scale research. Additionally, multi-source satellite remote sensing products were combined to form a raster dataset to estimate the effect of dry deposition on PM2.5 and PM10 in China's urban green spaces from 2000 to 2020. The spatial and temporal changes in the long-term series were analyzed, and the influence of environmental factors on dry deposition was analyzed in combination with wavelet changes. The experimental results showed that: 1) from 2000 to 2020, the dry deposition effect of PM2.5 and PM10 on vegetation showed an initial increasing and then decreasing trend caused by the sudden drop in atmospheric pollutant particle concentration driven by local policies; 2) broad-leaved forests provided the main dry deposition effects in urban spaces, accounting for 89.22 %, indicating a need to increase the density of these forest types in urban development planning to improve air quality; and 3) PM2.5, PM10, and environmental impact factors have time-frequency scale coherences, and the coherence between PM2.5 reduction and these factors is more complex than that of PM10, with precipitation being the best variable to explain the change in PM2.5 and PM10. These findings are important for the prevention and control of urban air pollution, regional planning of green spaces, and sustainable development of cities.