Urban Parks Research Articles

Soundscape Design in an Urban Natural Park

Urban natural parks represent a remarkable concept that evokes the coexistence of human habitation with a wild environment, and the associated interactions between human and natural territories. In this context, urban noise infringes upon the natural soundscape, leading to various consequences for both realms. This study seeks to characterize the impact of anthropic noise levels on biodiversity in the urban natural Văcărești Park (Bucharest, Romania), utilizing on-site measurements and software simulation techniques. The study seeks to develop a method for evaluating integrative strategies to mitigate the impact of traffic noise on wildlife in an urban wild park, without addressing the specific effects of noise on the perception and communication of individual species. By calibrating field measurements with laboratory results, a more reliable data set will be used to identify areas where the biophonic environment is impacted by anthropogenic noise. Since human-generated noise in an urban natural park predominantly originates from road traffic and industrial sites, managing traffic noise and its propagation pathways could substantially improve the park’s soundscape. Additionally, this study will apply software simulations for noise reduction strategies, such as vegetation planting and earthen embankments, to obtain suitable solutions and propose plausible and effective actions to authorities for improving the biophonic environment. This research could also serve as the basis for long-term monitoring, allowing for the assessment of the evolution and impact of implemented measures over time.

The Influence of Vegetation Environment on Thermal Experience in Hot Summer: A Case Study from Perspectives of Fitting Scale and Gender Disparity

Vegetation exerts a significant cooling effect, particularly during the hot summer; however, the spatial scale effects and gender difference among occupants’ subjective thermal comfort remain elusive. Developing a comprehensive model to elucidate the multidimensional relationship between green spaces and thermal experience holds paramount importance. Taking Longzi River Park in Zhengzhou city as a case study, this research examined the influence of vegetation on thermal experience by using structural equation modeling (SEM) from perspectives of fitting scale and gender disparities. It was found that (1) The vegetation environment not only influences thermal sensation, comfort and demand independently, but also influences the pathway between them. These influence paths constitute a complex causal network, functioning as a framework of “sensation → comfort → demand” and its influencing factors. (2) There exists a scaling effect in the pathway framework, which conforms to a threshold of 10 m for the inner radius and 30 m for the outer radius. The goodness of SEM model fit declines with the increase in either the inner radius or the outer radius, or both. (3) Differences in genders are exhibited for the pathway framework, with the vegetation exerting a stronger influence on female sensation and comfort, as well as male demand. The pathway from sensation to comfort to demand is more pronounced in male populations. The research findings contribute to the development of improved and sustainable vegetation distribution in urban parks.

Source-specific probabilistic health risk assessment of dust PAHs in urban parks based on positive matrix factorization and Monte Carlo simulation.

Understanding the health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in dust from city parks and prioritizing sources for control are essential for public health and pollution management. The combination of Source-specific and Monte Carlo not only reduces management costs, but also improves the accuracy of assessments. To evaluate the sources of PAHs in urban park dust and the possible health risks caused by different sources, dust samples from 13 popular parks in Kaifeng City were analyzed for PAHs using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results showed that the surface dust PAH content in the study area ranged from 332.34µg·kg-1 to 7823.03µg·kg-1, with a mean value of 1756.59µg·kg-1. Nemerow Composite Pollution Index in the study area ranged from 0.32 to 14.41, with a mean of 2.24, indicating that the overall pollution warrants attention. Four pollution sources were identified using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model: transportation source, transportation-coal and biomass combustion source, coke oven emission source, and petroleum source, with contributions of 33.74%, 25.59%, 22.14%, and 18.54%, respectively. The Monte Carlo cancer risk simulation results indicated that park dust PAHs pose a potential cancer risk to all three populations (children, adult male and adult female). Additionally, the cancer risk for children was generally higher than that for adult males and females, with transportation sources being the main contributor to the carcinogenic risk. Lastly, sensitivity analyses results showed that the toxic equivalent concentration (CS) is the parameter contributing the most to carcinogenic risk, followed by Exposure duration (ED).

Faeces of Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) as a Bioindicator of Contamination in Urban Environments in Central-West Brazil

Along with exposure to parasites and other biological disease vectors, animal faeces can also contain heavy metals and metalloids. We quantified metals, metalloids, and non-metals in the faeces of capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) that live in parks in the city of Campo Grande (Brazil). Quantification of metalloids was obtained after acid digestion using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer. Higher mean concentrations in mg/kg of aluminium (Al) (140.322), arsenic (As) (0.010), cadmium (Cd) (1.042), chromium (Cr) (26.866), cobalt (Co) (1.946), copper (Cu) (50.764), lead (Pb) (8.762), manganese (Mn) (291.469), molybdenum (Mo) (3.634), nickel (Ni) (5.475), and zinc (Zn) (100.027) were quantified in samples of faeces of capybara that live on the banks of a lagoon that receives input from streams that cross the city. According to the risk assessment, potential risks to the health of children and adults may occur due to the presence of Al, As, Cd, Co, Cu, and Mn through involuntary oral ingestion of faeces, via inhalation and dermal contact. The hazard index (HI) due to oral ingestion was greater than 1 for children and adults. Therefore, we believe that faeces of H. hydrochaeris can be considered as a bioindicator of environmental pollution in urban parks.

Real Environment or Virtual Environment?: Perception Bias Evaluation of Perceived Security in Urban Parks

Urban green spaces, specifically urban parks, contribute to overall human health and well-being. However, physical features of urban green spaces can affect perceived security of its users, ultimately impacting their social life and mental health. Hence, various studies have evaluated perceived security in urban green spaces in virtual and real environment settings. However, studies have not yet evaluated the difference in the perception of perceived security and other physical environmental variables of urban green spaces across virtual and real environment-based methods. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that perception bias can exist across both methodologies. Since Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a well-established framework in the field, this study investigates the difference in perceived security across methods using the virtual and real environment in urban parks, using a CPTED classification. Fifteen urban parks were video graphed during the day and night. The study collected 524 and 930 responses from real and virtual environment settings, respectively. The results show that, regardless of the stimulus type, all CPTED variables are significantly correlated with perceived security; however, surveillance, maintenance, and activity support are strongly correlated with perceived security in virtual rather than real environments. Perceptions of territoriality, access control and target hardening significantly differ across both methods. Regardless of user type, PS levels are higher in a real environment. The number of park users affects perceived security more in virtual environments. However, the relative importance of CPTED variables in predicting perceived security is similar in both methods. Future research scholars can benefit from this study by understanding user perception patterns of urban parks in virtual and real environments. Similarly, the study results will guide them in creating virtual and real spaces catering to users’ perceptions. The study's findings can also support future virtual environment-based projects by accounting for potential perception biases when translating results to real environment settings. Further, landscape architects can leverage this research to enhance the design and development of urban parks. From the methodological perspective, this study is applicable to various perception-based studies that can aim to evaluate virtual and real environment-based differences.

Mapping fine-scale carbon sequestration benefits and landscape spatial drivers of urban parks using high-resolution UAV data

Urban parks offer dual ecological benefits by increasing carbon sinks and reducing carbon emissions and are considered an important natural strategy for cities to achieve “double carbon” goals. However, rapid, efficient, and accurate quantification of the carbon sequestration benefits of urban parks poses a significant challenge. To address this, we utilized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral data to construct large-area, high-resolution models of urban park carbon sequestration benefits, replacing traditional, time-consuming, and laborious large-scale field surveys. Additionally, we explored the relationship between urban park landscape patterns and the benefits of carbon sequestration. First, we used data from 12 tree species to calculate the carbon storage based on tree species and compared these results with those calculated based on forest type. Second, three prediction models were constructed using multispectral vegetation index only, texture features only, and a combination of both, in conjunction with gradient boosting decision Trees (GBDT), random forest (RF), and backpropagation (BP) neural network to generate carbon sequestration benefit maps for the entire park. These maps allowed us to determine how variations in urban park landscape structures affect carbon stocks. The results show that UAV multispectral imagery provides a fast and accurate method for measuring the carbon sequestration benefits of urban parks and offers an alternative method for generating carbon sequestration benefit maps. This research reveals the benefits of urban park carbon sequestration and explores the spatial patterns within landscapes. The findings are of great significance for guiding the estimation of urban carbon sequestration benefits and achieving carbon neutrality.

Design and Implementation of a Robotic Car with a ULV Atomizer for Mosquito Control in Urban Parks

Mosquito infestations in tropical regions, particularly during months of moderate to high rainfall, pose significant health risks due to diseases like Malaria, Dengue, and Chikungunya. Traditional control methods such as fumigation and chemical sprays face limitations of environmental concerns and potential health risks to humans. To address this issue in community parks, I developed a robotic car equipped with an atomizer to disperse an organic mosquito repellent. Powered by a Raspberry Pi 4 and brushless DC motors, the robotic vehicle is designed for stable and efficient movement across uneven park terrains. It is controlled via an integrated PlayStation 4 controller for user-friendly operation. The atomizer disperses a repellent from essential oils such as Neem (Azadirachta indica), Lemongrass, and Eucalyptus, offering an environmentally friendly and human-safe alternative to chemical repellents like DEET. Testing indicated that the robotic car equipped with an atomizer effectively reduces mosquito presence, enhancing the safety and enjoyment of outdoor recreational spaces.

Eco-Morphological Responses of Camponotus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to Varied Climates and Habitats.

Ants are a highly adaptable group of insects that have globally established themselves in diverse climates and habitats. This study investigates the influence of climate and habitat on the morphological traits of Camponotus japonicus across 22 sites in mainland China. These sites span three climate zones (mid-temperate, warm temperate, and subtropical) and three habitat types (urban parks, farmlands, and sparse woodlands). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the principal axis of morphological variation, while hypervolume analysis and centroid distance calculation were used to verify the environmental filtering hypothesis and the optimal transfer hypothesis. The results support both hypotheses showing that climate and habitat significantly affect the morphological space of C. japonicus workers. In particular, the morphological space is more constrained in mid-temperate farmlands, while workers in sparse woodlands exhibit greater morphological variation. In contrast, urban parks are characterized by higher stability and reduced morphological differences. Additionally, robust regression analysis reveals that environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, and altitude are closely linked to the morphological traits of the workers. Understanding how ant morphology responds to external environmental changes enhances our understanding of their adaptability and their essential ecological roles across various ecosystems.

A Case Study on Children’s Accessibility in Urban Parks in Changsha City, China: Developing an Improved 2SFCA Method

As countries develop, the challenge of providing access to the outdoors and nature increases. Consequently, recent environmental justice research has focused on measuring children’s access to parks. The results of these analyses better reflect differences in accessibility, but there are discrepancies between different accessibility models. This study aims to explore child-friendly accessibility measures and proposes a supply–demand-improved two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method for estimating urban park accessibility based on children’s needs. The application of this improved 2SFCA method in Changsha City successfully identified areas with unequal park accessibility, offering valuable insights for urban planners, that can be used to promote equitable access to green spaces for all residents, especially children. The results demonstrate that park accessibility in Changsha City exhibits significant differences across various areas, with the lowest accessibility in the western part of Furong District, the northwestern part of Yuhua District, and the southern part of Tianxin District; while the highest accessibility is found in Yuelu District. The limited green space in the central business district of Changsha City, coupled with high population density, indicates a tension between green space planning and population density in the city’s central area. The study proposes that the primary challenge in current green space planning in Changsha is the rational allocation of green spaces to meet the needs of high-density populations within limited urban space. It provides a comprehensive and realistic perspective for understanding the accessibility and availability of green spaces for children, which can help urban planners develop effective policies to support children’s outdoor mobility, while considering equity.

Towards an Indigenous-Informed Multispecies Collaboratory

Abstract How does Australia’s latest Indigenous defeat relate to Environmental Education? The answer is direct complicity. This paper begins with the premise that the failure of Australia’s 2023 referendum on “The Voice to Parliament” is directly connected with education. The chapter builds on the proposition that local and Indigenous public knowledge could — and should — be the heart of environmental education. We apply a post-qualitative practice that is underpinned by innovative feminisms and the post-qualitative methods within a Multispecies Collaboratory, an experimental way of transforming our learning by attending to the responsive, relational world of all beings. We use this practice to think with while exploring socio-ecological relations, especially our own. Collaboratory colleagues include rivers with their kincentric ecologies, urban park ecosystems and backyard kin or families. Journaling, creative writing and photography record our learning journeys. The article concludes that continuing colonisation, epistemic violence and a culture of denial reinforce the dominant paradigm of silencing Indigenous voices. We argue that an Indigenous-informed onto-epistemology of living place can — and should — inform the heart and practice of environmental education, and an Indigenous-informed Multispecies Collaboratory is one way to deepen the multispecies engagement that underpins environmental education.

Emotional Perceptions of Thermal Comfort for People Exposed to Green Spaces Characterized Using Streetscapes in Urban Parks

Thermal comfort is a key determinant ruling the quality of urban park visits that is mainly evaluated by equivalent meteorological factors and lacks evidence about its relationship with emotional perception. Exposure to green space was believed to be an available approach to increase thermal comfort, but this argument still needs verification to confirm its reliability. In this study, about ~15,000 streetscapes were photographed at stops along sidewalks and evaluated for green view index (GVI) and plant diversity index in five urban parks of Changchun, Northeast China. The faces of visitors were captured to analyze happy, sad, and neutral scores as well as two net positive emotion estimates. Meteorological factors of temperature, relative humidity, and wind velocity were measured at the same time for evaluating thermal comfort using equivalent variables of discomfort index (DI), temperature and humidity index (THI), and cooling power index (CP). At stops with higher GVI, lower temperature (slope: from −0.1058 to −0.0871) and wind velocity (slope: from −0.1273 to −0.0524) were found, as well as higher relative humidity (slope: from 0.0871 to 0.8812), which resulted in positive relationships between GVI and thermal comfort evaluated as DI (R2 = 0.3598, p < 0.0001) or CP (R2 = 0.3179, p < 0.0001). Sad score was positively correlated with THI (R2 = 0.0908, p = 0.0332) and negatively correlated with CP (R2 = 0.0929, p = 0.0294). At stops with high GVI, more positive emotions were shown on visitors’ faces (happy minus sad scores, 0.31 ± 0.10). Plant diversity had varied relationships with GVI in parks depending on age. Overall, our study demonstrated that using imagery data extracted from streetscapes can be useful for evaluating thermal comfort. It is recommended to plan a large amount of touchable nature provided by vegetation in urban parks so as to mitigate micro-climates towards a trend with more thermal comfort that evokes more positive emotions.

Predicting the impact of integrated audio-visual environments on perceived restorative benefits across different park types: A field study based on seven parks in Hangzhou, China

The human perception of environments is a complex mechanism, influenced not only by visual and auditory stimuli and their perceptual outcomes, but also by personal characteristics, site types, and other factors that affect people's restorative experiences. However, there is little research that treats it as a complete systemic phenomenon to reveal its integrated impact. We surveyed 1161 visitors in seven urban parks in Hangzhou, China, and collected information on audio-visual stimuli. Using structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis, we initially examined the comprehensive impact of acoustic factors, non-acoustic factors, and individual characteristic variables on perceived restorativeness. Subsequently, we studied the effects of different park types on the constructed multivariate comprehensive model. The results confirm that the presence of different types of sound sources within landscape features can impact the auditory affective quality dimension, which in turn affects visitors' perceived restorative experiences. In addition, the reported mediating pathways revealed that visual elements related to nature, by providing high-quality visual landscapes, enhance the pleasantness of soundscapes and yield greater restorative benefits in park environments. A new finding of the study was that, although the eventfulness of the soundscape negatively affects perceived restorativeness, the presence of high-quality visual landscapes in the environment can compensate for this deficiency. Further multi-group analysis results show that landscape features and visual perceptual quality indirectly influence perceived restorativeness through the auditory affective quality dimension, resulting in varied correlations across two types of park. Moreover, the pleasantness of soundscapes consistently has a significant effect on perceived restorativeness in both types of parks; however, in parks oriented towards activity, the eventfulness dimension of soundscapes does not significantly affect perceived restorativeness. Lastly, the influence of landscape features on perceived restorativeness, mediated by types of sound sources, is both direct and indirect, leading to diverse correlations across different park environments. These detailed findings and guidelines for audio-visual interaction design will aid in the planning and development of urban soundscapes.

The Combined Effects of the Thermal Environment and Air Quality at Recreation Places on the Physiology and Psychology of People in Urban Parks

Urban forests, crucial to urban ecosystems, are increasingly threatened by the challenges of urbanization, such as deteriorating thermal environments and declining air quality. Despite their recognized benefits to city dwellers’ quality of life, a systematic understanding of the impact of these environmental factors on public psychophysiological well-being in recreational sites is a notable gap in the literature. The objective of this research was to bridge this gap by examining the effects of the thermal environment and air quality in urban forests on the public’s perception, offering scientific evidence to inform environmental optimization and health management strategies for urban parks, essential for sustainable urban development and public health. Three urban parks in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, namely Fuzhou National Forest Park, Xihu Park, and Jinniushan Sports Park, were selected as research sites. Environmental monitoring and questionnaire surveys were conducted at 24 recreation places from October to December 2020, collecting temperature, humidity, and wind speed; the atmospheric composition includes PM2.5, PM10, negative oxygen ion, and psychophysiological data from the public. Multivariate statistical methods were employed to assess the environmental characteristics of different recreation places types and their impact on public health. The findings reveal that environmental factors explained 1.9% to 11.8% of the variation in physiological and psychological responses, mainly influenced by temperature, wind speed, and negative oxygen ions. Forests and waterfront recreation places significantly outperform canopy and open recreation places in promoting mental invigoration, stress relief, emotional tranquility, and attention restoration. Environmental monitoring results indicate that favorable meteorological conditions and good air quality are crucial for enhancing the service functions of recreation places. Notably, the positive correlation between a negative air ion concentration and psychological well-being provides a novel perspective on understanding the health benefits of urban forests. The thermal environment and air quality of urban recreation places exert a significant influence on the psychophysiological status of the public. Increasing green coverage, improving water body environments, and rationally planning recreation places layout are of great theoretical and practical significance for enhancing the environmental quality and service functions of urban forests.

Microhabitat coverage influences avian species composition more than habitat heterogeneity in Hong Kong urban parks

The relationship between habitat heterogeneity and diversity can underpin design of urban spaces for biodiversity conservation. The area-heterogeneity trade-off hypothesis predicts that higher habitat heterogeneity should result in an increase in species richness but only up to a point, beyond which habitat micro-fragmentation leads to decreases in species diversity. However, the strength of area-heterogeneity trade-offs at small spatial scales is not well studied. We studied the relationship between avian diversity and habitat heterogeneity in 16 small urban parks across Hong Kong during the winter dry season across 2016 and 2017 (ten repeated surveys in total for each park). Habitat heterogeneity was assessed by measuring the evenness of microhabitat coverage of seven habitats as well as vertical canopy cover. In total, 12,973 individuals of 73 bird species were recorded in the study. Habitat heterogeneity had a small but negligible effect on total bird species richness or abundance. However, water coverage was positively related to total, intermediately rare and habitat specialist bird species richness, and shrub coverage was positively related to total and common bird species richness. These results demonstrate that environmental heterogeneity had little effect on avian species richness in urban green spaces at small spatial scales. We also found that microhabitat coverage can affect avian diversity and abundance, and these effects are specific to certain groups of bird species. When managing urban green spaces for biodiversity conservation in densely urbanized cities, a decrease in management disturbance (e.g. tree topping or pesticide application) will likely benefit avian species. Together with the fact that some locally uncommon species were observed throughout the study, capacity exists for environmental enhancement of these small urban parks to contribute to local avian conservation.

Different types of greenspace within urban parks and depressive symptoms among older U.S. adults living in urban areas

Access to greenspace in the form of urban parks is frequently used to study the mental health benefits of nature and may alleviate depression. However, there is a lack of research that considers the different types of vegetated and non-vegetated spaces that parks can provide. Our aim was to investigate whether different types of accessible park area, grassy; tree covered; and non-vegetated, were associated with depressive symptoms among older (≥50 years) urban US adults. We used interviews from the Health and Retirement Study spanning 2010 through 2016 as our primary data source. We calculated total grassy, tree covered, and non-vegetated park space accessible to participants using a comprehensive national database of US parks and a high resolution (10 m) landcover dataset. To measure depressive symptoms, we used the CESD-8 analyzed as a continuous scale. We used Poisson regression to estimate the percent difference in CESD-8 scores comparing quartiles of accessible park space. To control for confounding, we adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, geography, and climate. Aggregated accessible park area was not substantively associated with depressive symptoms. However, having grassy park area near the home was associated with as much as 27 % fewer depressive symptoms. In contrast, non-vegetated park area was associated with up to 54 % more depressive symptoms. Our findings were robust to adjustment for air pollution, environmental noise, and artificial light at night. Different types of accessible park space may have disparate effects on mental health among older urban US adults.

Transformation of Modern Urban Park Based on User’s Spatial Perceived Preferences: A Case Study of Kowloon Walled City Park in Hong Kong

Urban parks enhance residents’ quality of life and health by fostering a harmonious relationship between people and nature, so effective park design needs to prioritize ecological protection, sustainable landscapes, and practical spatial structures to achieve these benefits. This study takes the typical case of urban park renovation and reconstruction—Kowloon Walled City Park—as an example to conduct research and divides the interior of the park into four types of areas: contemporary built-up area; historical relic area; natural–folk custom area; and ecological conservation area. Based on 405 valid questionnaire data for respondents, this study conducts empirical research using a combination of the Semantic Differential (SD) method, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) model, and unordered multivariate logit choice model, comprehensively describes and analyzes individual spatial perception and preferences, and further discusses the potential factors affecting individual perception preferences. The results show that there are differences in many characteristics between different areas in Kowloon Walled City Park. At the same time, people generally prefer park areas that integrate modern and traditional elements, natural and cultural environments, and pay attention to the balance between naturalness and sociality in park design. These results provide useful information for planners, developers, and others, as well as data for designing urban park construction with higher practical value and natural benefits.

Rethinking Cultural Ecosystem Services in Urban Forest Parks: An Analysis of Citizens’ Physical Activities Based on Social Media Data

Urban forest parks play a vital role in promoting physical activities (PAs) and providing cultural ecosystem services (CESs) that enhance citizens’ well-being. This study aims to reevaluate CESs by focusing on the physical activity experiences of park visitors to optimize park management and enhance citizen satisfaction. This study utilized social media data and employed natural language processing techniques and text analysis tools to examine experiences related to physical activities in Beijing Olympic Forest Park, Xishan Forest Park, and Beigong Forest Park. A specialized sports activity dictionary was developed to filter and analyze comments related to PA, emphasizing the impact of natural environments on enjoyment and participation in PA. The importance–performance analysis (IPA) method was used to assess the service characteristics of each park. The findings reveal that urban forest parks are highly valued by citizens, particularly for their natural landscapes, leisure activities, and the emotional fulfillment derived from PA, with 82.58% of comments expressing positive sentiments. Notably, appreciation for natural landscapes was exceptionally high, as evidenced by the frequent mentions of key terms such as ‘scenery’ (mentioned 2871 times), ‘autumn’ (mentioned 2314 times), and ‘forest’ (mentioned 1439 times), which significantly influence park usage. However, 17.11% of the reviews highlighted dissatisfaction, primarily with the management of facilities and services during sports and cultural activities. These insights underscore the need for performance improvements in ecological environments and sports facilities. This study provides a novel perspective on assessing and optimizing urban forest parks’ functions, particularly in supporting active physical engagement. The rich CESs offered by these parks enhance physical activity experiences and overall satisfaction. The findings offer strategic insights for park managers to better meet citizens’ needs and improve park functionality.

Site suitability analysis of urban green parks in Ranchi city using GIS–AHP based multi-criteria decision analysis

Purpose The presence of green spaces plays a vital role in promoting urban sustainability. Urban green parks (UGPs) help create sustainable cities while providing fundamental ecological functions. However, rapid urbanization has destroyed crucial green areas in Ranchi City, endangering inhabitants’ health. This study aims to locate current UGPs and predict future UGP sites in Ranchi City, Jharkhand. Design/methodology/approach It uses geographic information system (GIS) and analytical hierarchical process (AHP) to evaluate potential UGP sites. It involves the active participation of urban communities to ensure that the UGPs are designed to meet dweller’s needs. The site suitability assessment is based on several parameters, including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land use and land cover (LULC), population distribution, PM 2.5 levels and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The integration of these factors enables an evaluation of potential UGP’s sites. Findings The findings of this research reveal that 54.39% of the evaluated areas are unsuitable, 15.55% are less suitable, 12.76% are moderately suitable, 11.52% are highly suitable and 5.78% are very highly suitable for UGPs site selection. These results emphasize that the middle and outer regions of Ranchi City are the most favorable locations for establishing UGPs. The NDVI is the most important element in UGP site appropriateness, followed by LULC, population distribution, PM 2.5 levels and the UHI effect. Originality/value This study improves the process of integrating AHP and GIS, and UGPs site selection maps help urban planners and decision-makers make better choices for Ranchi City’s sustainability and greenness.

Developing simplified metamodels for assessing urban park cooling effect on the thermal behavior of the residential buildings: A case study in Nantes, France during a heat wave

The objective of this research is twofold. First, it aims to evaluate the impact of an urban park on the thermal behavior of residential buildings. Second, it focuses on developing and validating metamodels for predicting the cooling needs and summer thermal comfort of three types of residential buildings: single-family houses (Low-rise), small collective housing (Mid-rise), and large collective housing (High-rise). The metamodels are created through regression analysis, using a set of dynamic thermal simulations conducted with TRNSYS software. The number of dynamic simulations is efficiently reduced using the design of experiments method, and the accuracy of the metamodels is further validated through additional simulations. This study was conducted considering the climate weather conditions of the city of Nantes, France. The results demonstrate that an urban park can achieve a maximum reduction of 12.53 % in cooling needs and a 12.50 % maximum reduction in degree hours of discomfort, particularly when the building is protected from solar radiation. Furthermore, developed metamodels show high accuracy with regression coefficients over 0.96. This study aimed to create a decision support tool for local government departments to optimize urban cooling, improve thermal comfort, and reduce cooling loads in buildings by guiding the design of parks and their surrounding built environment.

Do hypothetical and actual service distances align for urban fringe parks? An investigation of Shanghai using big data

In China's transition from rapid urbanization to high-quality development, urban peripheral parks are increasingly crucial for ecological services and quality of life. However, a disparity persists between their intended function and actual usage, a common occurrence in megacities of China. This study aims to identify the actual service distance and accessibility of parks in fringe areas, using the southwestern sector of Shanghai's main urban fringe as an example. By utilizing mobile location data, it explores the multilevel service attributes of urban fringe parks. Analyzing spatial characteristics from the perspectives of clustering distances and life circle service capabilities, it concludes that: 1) fringe parks exhibit lower service capacities compared to central ones, mainly providing routine services; 2) fixed service range models are inadequate, especially for fringe parks; and 3) community and district-level parks have comparable service distances, highlighting the need to enhance district-level parks. This research aims to optimize park site selection and functions in urban peripheries, providing insights for sustainable planning.