Sustainable Urban Environment Research Articles

Urban decay represents a multifaceted and persistent issue affecting cities globally, characterised by the gradual breakdown of physical infrastructure, social networks, and economic viability. This study conducts a systematic literature review to synthesise and thematically analyse existing research on urban decay in Nigeria, aiming to generate an integrated understanding of the phenomenon and highlight evidence-based pathways toward sustainable urban renewal. The review identifies key causes, manifestations, research trends, methodologies, and interventions related to urban decay in Nigerian cities. It explores the primary drivers of decay, including rapid urbanisation, poor urban planning, economic instability, housing crises, deindustrialisation, infrastructure neglect, environmental challenges, social inequalities, political instability, and cultural neglect. The study emphasises the need for comprehensive interventions encompassing physical renewal, social and economic revitalisation, inclusive planning, community engagement, and equitable service delivery. By addressing these objectives, the review aims to inform urban policy, planning, and practice in Nigeria, supporting the development of resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban environments in line with national priorities and global frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Mediterranean Basin is home to one of the highest levels of biodiversity on Earth, with approximately 25,000 plant species. The typical vegetation in this region is predominantly consists of shrubs. Due to their anatomical, morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, these plants can tolerate abiotic stress, particularly drought. Consequently, incorporating them could enhance the sustainability of urban green spaces. However, species native to the Mediterranean Basin are not yet widely represented in green spaces, despite their attractive ornamental traits. To quantify the contribution of Mediterranean native shrubs, a survey was conducted on Italian flora. Using a selection grid, species of potential interest were identified; these species belong to the Mediterranean chorotype and exhibit appealing ornamental characteristics. The overall attributes of these plant species support their ornamental use, owing to their form and the features of their leaves, flowers, or fruits. The investigation identified 369 species that are not currently available in commercial nurseries. The most represented families included Rosaceae , Asteraceae , Fabaceae , Lamiaceae , and Cistaceae . Although the flowering period of each species is relatively short, the blooms of different species are distributed throughout the year. Therefore, by simultaneously utilizing various species, it is possible to ensure a continuous ornamental display.

The accessibility of urban park green spaces holds significant importance for the daily lives of city dwellers and for evaluating urban liveability. This study integrates the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (G2SFCA) and network analysis to assess the accessibility distribution characteristics of park green spaces in Nanning City. The G2SFCA accounts for population density and park area to quantify per capita service capacity, while network analysis simulates real transport networks to evaluate distance- based and time-based accessibility. Results indicate significant disparities in accessibility across Nanning's districts: Qingxiu and Liangqing District exhibit the highest accessibility with average proportions of 65.84% and 45.54% respectively, while Xixiangtang and Xingning District record the lowest at 18.01% and 16.61%. Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis (Moran’s I = 0.928) further indicates pronounced clustering, with high–high clusters concentrated in the southeast and low–low clusters in the northern and western areas. The comparative analysis highlights the methodological complementarity between supply–demand based and distance–cost based evaluations, providing a more robust understanding of green space accessibility. Policy recommendations suggest prioritising the addition of community parks and green corridors in low-accessibility and high-density areas such as northern Xixiangtang and western Jiangnan, while consolidating the “large core–small node” layout along the Yongjiang River. This research offers scientific support for ecological spatial planning and contributes to advancing the development of a liveable and sustainable urban environment in Nanning.

Due to intensive urbanization, global warming, and increasing energy demands, the impact of urban heat islands is becoming more significant. This study investigates the contribution of vehicular emissions to air pollution and its effects on urban heat island intensity in a selected area of Belgrade, Serbia, between March and September 2015, using a combination of experimental measurements and numerical simulations. Furthermore, this study presents the results of the research on the impact of assessment of traffic-induced air pollution on the appearance of thermal islands in the urban environment, as well as the characterization of thermal islands and their quantification. This study quantifies the effects of traffic-related emissions and urban meteorological parameters on the intensity of the urban heat island by combining field measurements with a validated three-dimensional numerical model and shows that higher traffic density increases pollutant concentrations and cooling energy demand in buildings. The study includes experimental measurements of traffic intensity and modeling of gas emissions from major roads. Using long-term and short-term field measurements, concentrations of carbon dioxide and other pollutants were analyzed with meteorological parameters and their cumulative impact to assess their impact on local air quality. A three-dimensional numerical model for simulating the dispersion of pollutants has been developed, confirmed and validated by experimental data. The results highlight a direct correlation between traffic density and pollutant concentrations, emphasizing the need for strategic urban planning and sustainable transport policies to mitigate the effects of air pollution. A validated numerical model was used to simulate dynamic changes in temperature fields and carbon dioxide concentrations caused by vehicular emissions. The findings reveal that the Urban Heat Island Intensity (UHII) for the selected area in Belgrade reached peaks of up to 12 °C during the summer measurement period, with typical values in July ranging from 5 °C to 9 °C. Furthermore, the validated numerical model demonstrated that the removal of urban trees would lead to a local air temperature increase of 1.5 °C to 3 °C, quantifying the significant cooling potential of green infrastructure. These results highlight a direct correlation between traffic density, pollutant concentrations, and the intensification of urban heat islands, emphasizing the need for strategic urban planning. Furthermore, the findings reveal that increased traffic not only elevates air pollutant levels but also enhances the intensity of urban heat islands, leading to higher cooling energy demands in buildings. These insights are vital for developing effective mitigation strategies to improve the sustainability of urban environments and living conditions. These findings provide a clear directive for urban planners: the integration and preservation of green infrastructure is a highly effective UHI mitigation strategy, capable of reducing local temperatures by 1.5–3 °C. Furthermore, the results strongly support the implementation of targeted traffic management policies in dense urban cores as a dual strategy to improve air quality and reduce local thermal loads.

Plants are among the first solutions considered in the fight against air pollution. As natural and effective agents, they play a vital role. However, success depends on selecting the right species and placing them in suitable climates and locations. When properly chosen, plants can significantly improve air quality and support sustainable urban environments. This study focuses on the concept of "natural filtration," particularly "the role of trees," using the city of Trabzon as the study area. Two sites were selected: one with dense urban vegetation and the other with sparse vegetation. Emission measurements were conducted and analyzed statistically. Results revealed that broad and oval-leaved plants had greater potential to enhance micro air quality. Among all species, Rhododendron cynthia had the most consistent positive effect across all seasons. In spring, the park’s average air quality was 95.48 µg/m³, with R. cynthia recording 357.44 µg/m³. In summer, the average was 106.87 µg/m³, while this species measured 310.37 µg/m³. Autumn showed 124.74 µg/m³ overall, and Rhodendron cynthia had 201.43 µg/m³. In winter, it had the lowest CO emission at 1.03 µg/m³, while the average was 107.96 µg/m³. These findings emphasize the species’ strong potential to improve air quality. Furthermore, 80% of the species with the highest air quality contribution were trees, suggesting they should be prioritized in landscape planning. ANOVA results showed that broad and oval-leaved trees had a significant positive impact, while the difference between deciduous and evergreen species was not significant. In conclusion, urban plants' effectiveness in improving air quality depends on species, leaf shape, and growth form. These findings serve as a guide for environmentally sustainable and informed landscape planning.

In an era of rapid urbanization and environmental degradation, sustainable urban development is imperative to ensure a high quality of life while reducing carbon footprints. This paper presents a comprehensive framework that leverages artificial intelligence to drive data-informed decisions in smart cities, ultimately aiming to create sustainable and carbon-free urban environments. Our approach integrates diverse datasets representative of key urban challenges including energy efficiency, air quality, infrastructure durability, and both residential and industrial energy consumption into a unified predictive modeling platform. Utilizing PyCaret’s low-code machine learning (ML) library, we automated the training, selection, and evaluation of numerous regression models, with a particular focus on ensemble-based methods such as Extra Trees, CatBoost, and LightGBM. Rigorous benchmarking across six publicly available datasets demonstrated near-perfect predictive performance, with R2 values often exceeding 0.99 and minimal error metrics observed in multiple domains. These results highlight the models’ robustness and suitability for high-stakes applications in urban sustainability, ranging from energy optimization to environmental monitoring. The performance benchmarking presented in this paper serves as a practical validation of the proposed AI-driven framework, covering essential smart city domains such as environmental monitoring, infrastructure resilience, and energy efficiency. The study not only underscores the potential of AI in transforming urban infrastructure but also provides a scalable and interpretable framework for real-world deployment. By converting vast, heterogeneous urban data into actionable insights, our work paves the way for smarter, carbon-neutral cities, where predictive analytics serve as the cornerstone of sustainable urban policy and operational excellence.

With the rapid development of automotive technologies and the increase in the number of cars, intelligent transportation systems are becoming an indispensable tool for creating a more efficient, comfortable and sustainable urban environment. This article is devoted to the design of the transport system architecture based on the V2S standard and the concept of fog computing in order to reduce delays in data transmission, improve the efficiency of decision-making and increase the reliability of traffic management. To justify the effectiveness of the proposed approach, simulation modeling of the cloud and fog architectures of the Internet of Things system is carried out. The work analyzes key parameters such as data transmission delay, server load, and cost-effectiveness. The results show that fog computing significantly reduces delays but requires more computing resources, while the cloud architecture minimizes the load on servers but may encounter delays. The study emphasizes the importance of choosing an appropriate architecture depending on the requirements for processing speed and network resources.

With the rapid pace of urbanization, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect has emerged as a significant obstacle to sustainable urban living, characterized by elevated temperatures in cities relative to surrounding rural areas. This article explores the intricate mechanisms driving UHI development, emphasizing key contributors such as the reduction of green spaces, heat-retaining construction materials, compact city layouts, and anthropogenic heat emissions. Meteorological factors further compound UHI intensity, underlining its multifaceted nature. The consequences are far-reaching ranging from increased energy demands and diminished air quality to elevated greenhouse gas emissions and negative impacts on public health and thermal comfort. Climate change exacerbates these effects by altering local weather dynamics and intensifying heat stress. A comprehensive assessment of detection techniques is provided, alongside a diverse set of mitigation approaches. These include nature-based interventions such as green roofs, vertical gardens, urban forestry, and blue infrastructure, as well as technological innovations like reflective roofs and permeable pavements. The article also evaluates the complex role of solar panels, which can both alleviate and contribute to heat accumulation in urban settings. This work contributes to the creation of heat-resilient cities and promotes a shift from concrete-dominated landscapes toward cooler, greener, and more sustainable urban environments.

Urban development, particularly through mixed-use projects, has emerged as a critical tool for regional economic revitalization. These projects integrate residential, commercial, and recreational spaces to stimulate local economies, enhance social cohesion, and optimize land use. This study presents a conceptual urban development model that synthesizes best practices from urban planning, economic development, and regional policy literature. Drawing upon over 100 peer-reviewed articles, policy reports, and practitioner studies, the proposed framework emphasizes integrated planning, stakeholder engagement, financial sustainability, and performance monitoring. The model serves as a strategic guide for policymakers, urban planners, and developers to drive economic growth, attract investment, and foster sustainable urban environments. By aligning urban design with regional development priorities, the framework provides a systematic approach to revitalizing lagging regions and enhancing economic resilience. Keywords: Mixed-Use Urban Development Framework, Regional Economic Revitalization Strategies, Integrated Urban Planning Model, Stakeholder Engagement In Development, Sustainable Urban Growth Initiatives, Performance-Driven Urban Planning.

Abstract—Waste management is one of the most critical challenges for urbanizing environments, especially in developing countries like India. Traditional waste collection systems often rely on manual methods or fixed schedules, which frequently result in inefficiencies, delayed pickups, overflowing bins, and poor segregation practices. The advent of digital technologies provides new opportunities to optimize waste collection processes, improve citizen engagement, and enhance municipal efficiency. This research presents the design and implementation of a Garbage Collection Management System (GCMS)—a web-based platform that enables citizens to request garbage pickup services online, classify waste types (organic, recyclable, and general), and track the status of their requests using a unique Pickup ID. The system is developed using PHP, MySQL, HTML, and CSS, and is hosted on a local XAMPP server. Key benefits include improved transparency, reduced manual complaints, increased awareness of waste segregation, and support for efficient municipal plan- ning. Furthermore, this paper discusses the system’s architecture, core algorithms, and potential future improvements such as integration with IoT-enabled smart bins, mobile applications, and AI-based route optimization. In conclusion, the GCMS offers a simple and effective solution to digitize traditional waste management systems, align them with national smart city goals, and contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable urban environment. Keywords: Smart Waste Management, Garbage Pickup Tracking, Web Application, Digital Governance, PHP, MySQL

Urban green spaces are essential for promoting human health and well-being, especially in cities facing increasing noise pollution and ecological stress. This study investigates the effects of audio-visual interaction on restorative outcomes across three soundscape types (park, residential, and street), focusing on the compensatory role of positive visual stimuli in low-quality soundscape environments. Thirty-two university students participated in a controlled evaluation using soundscapes and corresponding visual materials derived from 30 urban green spaces. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant main effects of soundscape type and modality (auditory vs. audio-visual), as well as a significant interaction between these factors. Audio-visual conditions consistently outperformed auditory conditions, with the strongest restorative effects observed in noisy street soundscapes when paired with positive visual stimuli. Further analysis highlighted that visual cleanliness and structural clarity significantly enhanced restorative outcomes in challenging environments. These findings align with existing theories of sensory integration and extend their application to large-scale urban settings. This study shows that multi-sensory optimization can mitigate urban environmental stressors, supporting healthier, more resilient, and sustainable urban environments. Future research should explore long-term and cross-cultural applications to inform evidence-based urban planning and public health policies.

Low-carbon pilot policies, as comprehensive environmental strategies, provide a valuable perspective for examining the integrated development of urban digitalization and environmental sustainability. However, from the perspective of an integrated “pilot-diffusion” approach, the varying effects of pilot policies on the synergistic development of urban digitalization and greening, under different diffusion modes, are still not well clear. This study uses panel data from 278 Chinese cities between 2005 and 2022 and employs a double machine learning model to effectively control for high-dimensional confounders, reducing biases commonly associated with traditional methodologies. The results indicate that low-carbon city pilot policies effectively promote the synergistic development of urban digitalization and greening, with hierarchical diffusion demonstrating stronger policy effects compared to horizontal diffusion. Additionally, the upgrading of industrial structures and green technological innovation were found to regulate the effects of the policies, and the promotional effect of low-carbon pilot policies on the urban digitalization and greening development development of cities exhibits heterogeneity across different regions and city types. Through the analysis of policy diffusion patterns, this paper clarifies how different diffusion mechanisms influence policy outcomes, providing targeted policy recommendations and theoretical insights to support the coordinated progress of urban digitalization and greening. To enhance future low-carbon pilot policies, this paper emphasizes the need to adapt policy designs to specific diffusion modes and regional contexts, encouraging targeted and differentiated strategies to foster sustainable urban development.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-17783-8.

As the global urban heat island (UHI) effect intensifies, understanding how UHI intensity responds to its influencing factors changes is critical for designing effective mitigation strategies. We focused on global megacities, shifted the UHI intensity assessment from physical indicators to human-related parameters, and then evaluated how human-centered UHI intensity responded to influencing factor change. We verified a significant discrepancy between traditional UHI intensity and human-centered UHI intensity worldwide, an average absolute difference of 1.27 °C with the relative difference of 77%. This highlighted the necessity of incorporating a human-centered perspective in UHI intensity assessment. We identified three key elements that shape the response of human-centered UHI intensity to influencing factor change: dominant influencing factor, response patterns (Type-I (monotonic increasing), Type-D (monotonic decreasing), and Type-P (downward parabola)), and nonlinear thresholds signifying a shift from mitigating to amplifying UHI intensity. Notably, these elements exhibited distinct clustering patterns in eastern North America, East Asia, and Europe. Consequently, mitigation strategies should be customized according to the key element identified for each city. These findings underscore that a human-centered UHI intensity assessment and region-specific mitigation strategies can help to shape resilient and sustainable urban environments.

Urbanization impacts the structure and spatial urban green spaces (UGS) patterns, necessitating the expansion of these areas to address environmental challenges. To evaluate UGS patterns, characteristics, and overall integrity, landscape metrics are employed. This study examines UGS changes in Ardabil, Iran, by analyzing spatial patterns and changes in per capita across different periods, utilizing Landsat 8 satellite imagery. Landscape metrics were computed using Fragstats software at both the class and patch levels for each period under investigation. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of urban green spaces (UGSs) in Ardabil, Iran, is suboptimal. Analysis reveals a decrease in the density of UGS patches over recent years. The reduction in the number of UGS patches has led to a deterioration in their spatial arrangement. In 2012, Ardabil had 8.40 m2 of UGS per capita, which was close to the national standard of 12 m2. However, by 2017, the per capita UGS dropped to 5.25 m2 per capita. Landscape metrics such as SPLIT and DIVISION show an increased distance between UGS patches, due to urban growth and expansion of more distantly located UGSs. The study demonstrates a shortage of UGS in Ardabil, with reduced patch density and per capita availability, underscoring the urgent need for increased UGS planning and development. The findings derived from the analysis of landscape metrics reveal a shortage of urban green spaces (UGS) in Ardabil, as evidenced by reduced patch density and per capita accessibility. These results indicate the necessity of adopting integrated urban planning approaches to enhance spatial connectivity and improve public access to green spaces. Overall, the study determines the critical role of landscape metrics as an effective tool for supporting decision-making related to sustainable environmental development in rapidly expanding urban areas. This study's findings can guide policymakers in Ardabil, Iran, to prioritize UGS expansion and connectivity, fostering sustainable urban environments that mitigate environmental challenges and enhance residents' quality of life.

Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes play a significant role in shaping urban landscapes and environmental sustainability. This study analyzes LULC transformations in Ayodhya City between 2014 and 2024 using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. Utilizing Landsat 8 satellite imagery and the Semi-Automatic Classification Plugin (SCP) in QGIS, the study classifies land into five major categories: Waterbodies, Forest, Agricultural Land, Bare Land, and Built-Up Areas. The findings indicate a significant increase in built-up areas, rising from 49.12% in 2014 to 56.23% in 2024, primarily driven by Ayodhya’s growing religious and tourism-related importance and government-led infrastructural developments. Concurrently, agricultural land declined from 28.59% to 24.97%, and forest cover reduced from 2.71% to 2.37%, reflecting urban expansion and land conversion. Additionally, bare land decreased from 10.75% to 9.39%, while waterbodies exhibited a slight increase from 1.73% to 1.75%, possibly due to conservation efforts and water management strategies. The study underscores the utility of Remote Sensing and GIS in monitoring urban growth, assessing environmental changes, and aiding sustainable urban planning. The findings emphasize the need for balanced land-use policies to mitigate environmental degradation and ensure sustainable development in Ayodhya City.

Purpose Electronic participation has emerged as a crucial mechanism for fostering community empowerment through digital platforms that enable citizen engagement in governance decisions. This study, which is a systematic literature review, examines how community empowerment is defined in e-participation initiatives and what factors influence its effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach This systematic literature review analyzed 30 peer-reviewed studies from 2000 to 2022, retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science using an iterative search with keywords like "e-participation" and "community empowerment," focusing on English-language studies across five policy domains: well-being and education, public policy and governance, urban planning, environmental sustainability, and human rights. Following Cooper and Hedges’ (2009) six-phase methodology, the process involved problem formulation, comprehensive search, rigorous study selection, quality assessment, data extraction, and thematic synthesis. Findings This research reveals that community empowerment is a multidimensional process encompassing information access, civic engagement, political efficacy and co-creation opportunities. This study identifies four enabling pillars that shape e-participation effectiveness: societal/cultural, economic/financial, political/legal and technological/infrastructural factors. In addition, five cross-cutting success factors influence empowerment outcomes: access to technology and information, addressing democratic deficits, bridging digital divides, ensuring quality engagement and securing strong political leadership. Research limitations/implications However, geographic analysis reveals research concentration in European (43.3%) and North American (23.3%) contexts, with underrepresentation of developing regions, limiting generalisability. Practical implications The findings provide comprehensive guidance for practitioners and policymakers, emphasising that successful e-participation requires holistic approaches addressing multiple dimensions simultaneously. Originality/value This synthesis is the first comprehensive theoretical framework, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, linking e-participation tools to community empowerment outcomes across diverse policy contexts.

Abstract. This study presents a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of air quality across various urban functional zones in China from 2017 to 2022, uncovering distinct impacts on air quality due to the unique characteristics of each zone. A general decrease in various pollutant concentrations is observed, a result of stringent pollution control policies. Specifically, the concentration of PM2.5 decreased from 46.1–30.6 µg m−3. Residential, commercial, and industrial zones show significant declines, whereas the transportation zone experiences the least decrease. However, ozone levels rebound significantly in densely populated residential and commercial zones and exhibit distinct weekend effects. The research highlights U-shaped seasonal patterns for five key pollutants and inverse seasonal patterns for ozone, which gradually decrease. Furthermore, the daily and seasonal variations of pollutant concentrations in the industrial zone are the largest, while those in the public management and service zone are the smallest. For example, the seasonal fluctuation of PM2.5 and PM10 in the industrial zone was 50.5 and 66.1 µg m−3, respectively. Urban scale has the most significant impact on public management and service zone. Notably, spatial heterogeneity is evident, with regional pollutant distributions linked to local emissions, control measures, urban morphology, and climate variability. This study emphasizes the critical link between urbanization and air quality, advocating for continuous monitoring and the development of zone-specific air quality strategies to ensure sustainable urban environments.

With the increasingly prominent impact of urban green space reduction on publichealth, this study selects three typical cities (Beijing, Hangzhou, and Yinchuan) toexplore the relationship between green space coverage and residents’ health, aiming to address challenges in green city governance and identify policy opportunities. Using multi-source data including remote sensing images, health statistics, and legal texts, combined with methods such as spatial econometric models and legal text analysis (Policy Strength Index, PSI), the study evaluates green space distribution, quantifies health benefits, and assesses policy effectiveness. The results show that there is a nonlinear threshold relationship between green space coverage and health benefits: when the coverage rate exceeds 38%, the decline rate of chronic diseases is significantly accelerated by 3.3 times, and the improvement rate of mental health reaches 9.7%. Among the three cities, Hangzhou achieves the most notable results with its “Park City” policy, featuring an average annual green space growth rate of 1.8% (far higher than Beijing’s 0.6% and Yinchuan’s -0.3%) and a leading PSI score of 82 points (significantly higher than Yinchuan’s 58 points). Further analysis reveals that policy implementation effectiveness depends on three core factors: legal strength, departmental coordination, and public participation. Based on these empirical findings, this study suggests adopting a trinity governance path of “accurate greening-system reconstruction-fair promotion” to drive the transformation and upgrading of urban green governance models, providing empirical support for building healthy, equitable, and sustainable urban environments.

Enhancing sustainable urban environments in China: Daytime radiative cooling for building energy efficiency and heat island mitigation

Abstract Contemporary challenges in the design of public buildings, such as archives, include the integration of some aspects of heritage conservation, quality of the housing environment, and sustainability. Using the example of the new headquarters of the National Archive in Krakow, architectural and technological solutions that can be adapted in residential development are analysed. The analysed building combines modernity with care for the historic urban fabric, improving the quality of life of the residents. The project demonstrates how the harmonious coexistence of public and residential uses can support the aspiration for a sustainable urban environment that combines the needs of residents with the need to protect the cultural landscape.