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Interactions between humans and nature are understood to be beneficial for human well-being. In cities, urban green spaces are believed to provide many benefits to urban populations in terms of mental and emotional well-being. Through a case study of 60 urban green spaces in Birmingham, United Kingdom, this article investigates the spatial and temporal variation of the emotions experienced by individuals whilst using urban green spaces. Using a dataset obtained from Twitter as the basis for emotional explorations, sentiment analysis was performed on over 10,000 tweets to ascertain the positivity/negativity of individuals. Positive responses were more common than negative responses across all seasons, with happiness and appreciation of beauty being the common positive emotions identified. For the negative responses, fear and anger were present in similar amounts, with fewer tweets indicating sadness and disgust. Our findings show that Twitter data is a viable source of information to researchers investigating human interaction and emotional response to space in cities. Such information has implications for urban planners and park managers, enabling the creation of evidence-based spaces which enhance positive outdoor experience. Limitations in using Twitter data are discussed and these should be considered in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in urban ecology depends on frameworks that meaningfully integrate our understanding of biophysical and social change. Although the coupled nature of urban ecosystems is widely accepted, the core mechanisms we use to integrate the social and biophysical aspects of urban ecosystems - their social-ecological feedbacks - are poorly understood. This paper considers how feedbacks are used to conceptualize social-ecological change, noting their utility and their limitations. In so doing, we suggest that coproduction provides a meaningful alternative to feedbacks, one that captures not only the structure-function relationships usually assumed in studies of biophysical landscape change, but also the structure-agency relationships that facilitate our most comprehensive understanding of social change. By addressing both the stepwise forms of transformation that a feedback approach captures and the simultaneous forms of transformation captured by a coproduction approach, a more comprehensive assessment of the ways that social and ecological change take place is afforded. We contend that thinking in terms of coproduction is essential for moving beyond the interdisciplinary approach that usually guides urban ecology models, toward a more integrated, trans-disciplinary approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Facade greening is beneficial for daytime urban cooling and heat island mitigation. • The degree of cooling benefit is mostly dependent on greened facade ratio (GFR). • For a high-density Hong Kong, ∼1 °C temperature drop requires 30–50% GFR. • Same GFR ensures daytime thermal comfort improvement by at least one class. Abstract To improve outdoor thermal environment and reduce indoor energy use, passive techniques including façade greenery have been suggested. In high-density cities like Hong Kong, buildings' surface area is much greater than the roof and ground surface areas combined, offering a huge vertical surface platform for greening. However, scientific evidence to assert the thermal benefit from this greening option especially at neighborhood scale is still very few. Therefore, this study was designed to provide such evidence using results from validated ENVI-met model simulation. Thereafter, parametric study was conducted to investigate the quantity and location of facade greening required for potential air cooling and thermal comfort improvement of a neighborhood of varying densities. Model validation results revealed an acceptable modelling of facade surface temperature, air temperature, relative humidity and wall-emitted long-wave fluxes. From the parametric study, we found that 30–50% of facades in the high-density urban setting of Hong Kong must be greened to potentially cause ∼1 °C reduction in both daytime and nighttime air temperature while the same could help improve daytime pedestrian thermal comfort by at least one thermal class. We also established that higher greened facade ratio will be required to obtain similar thermal benefits in low and medium density urban settings. Also, realized benefits at pedestrians' height can be enhanced when the vertical greening facilities are placed along podium than tower heights. Lastly, practicable urban planning recommendations were presented for the attention of urban planners and landscape architects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on impact of the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) in the city of Melbourne, Victoria and effects are expected to be exacerbated by climate change. It mentions Melbourne is expected to produce a range of impacts on health, transport operation and infrastructure, energy demand and infrastructure and geographical concepts such as sustainability. It also mentions forests and improve urban ecology by carrying out essential education.

Transnational actors are critical for financing programs and generating awareness around climate change adaptation in cities. However, it is unclear whether transnational support actually enables more authority over adaptation actions and whether outcomes address wide-ranging development needs. In this article, I compare experiences from three cities in India—Surat, Indore, and Bhubaneswar—and link local political agency over adaptation with their supporting transnational funders. I find that adaptation governance involves powers of agency over directing bureaucratic practices, public finance, spatial strategies, and institutional culture. A city’s ability to exert these powers then yields different patterns of adaptation. However, political agency is circumscribed by a combination of historical political economic constraints and emerging transnational resources that promote specific forms of political meaning and procedures. The presence of external support therefore paradoxically constrains the governance autonomy of cities. This opens up new opportunities for development dependency—that is, ones that mirror neoliberal critiques of foreign aid—within the global marketplace for climate finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlled environments create specialist forms of microclimatic enclosure that are explicitly designed to transcend the emerging limitations and increasing turbulence in existing modes of urban climatic conditions. Across different urban contexts, anthropogenic change is creating urban conditions that are too hot, cold, humid, wet, windy, etc. to support the continued and reliable environments that are suitable for the reproduction of food, ecologies and human life. In response, there are emerging forms of experimentation with new logics of microclimatic governance that seek to enclose environments within membranes and develop artificially created internal ecologies that are precisely customised to meet the needs of the plant, animal or human occupants of these new forms of enclosure. While recognising that enclosure has a long history in urbanism, design and architecture, we ask if a new logic of microclimatic governance is emerging in specific response to the ecological changes of the Anthropocene. The paper sets out a research agenda to investigate whether the ability of cities, states and corporates to design and construct internalised environments is now a strategic capacity that is critical to developing the knowledge, practices and technologies to reconfigure new forms of urban climatic governance that address the problems of climate change and ensure urban reproduction under conditions of turbulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses urban metabolism as a way to understand the sustainability of cities. It suggests that the city organism can reduce its metabolic footprint (resource inputs and waste outputs) whilst improving its livability. Like organisms, different cities have different metabolisms. This paper demonstrates that different parts of a city (walking, transit and automobile urban fabrics) also have different urban metabolisms. A detailed case study from the city of Perth, Australia, is used to demonstrate metabolic variations in different parts of the city. Understanding urban metabolism and the processes that drive it is the key to transitioning from ecologically extractive to sustainable cities. Through targeted improvements it is even possible for some elements of the city to become regenerative so that they restore parts of the degraded urban environment thus reversing damage to the biosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using entropy method and the urban ecological environment suitability index method, 22 indications were chosen from economic system, social system, and environmental system to measure and evaluate the sustainability of urban ecological environment in Binzhou City during 2008-2015. The results showed that the suitability of urban ecological environment in Binzhou City was high overall from 2008 to 2015. It was at grade II in 2008 and 2009 and at grade I in the other years. The development level of economic and environmental systems was relatively high, and some indicators of social system had certain shortcomings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the current knowledge and opinions of urban population in a city of a country that it is recognized with greater vulnerability to climate change, as it is Bogotá the main city of Colombia. It is important to analyse the opinion of the urban population on climate change, taking into account that in the next years cities will be vulnerable and affected by this phenomenon. This research uses a survey that determine the knowledge, causes and effects of climate change, as well as measurements and information that are required to address climate change issues more fully. The main results suggest that the Bogotá's respondents have heard about climate change and all consider that this phenomenon is a reality. The main effects of climate change according to respondents are droughts and floods, with consequences for health and water, energy and food availability. Moreover, the respondents consider the design and application of adequate measurements that allow adaptation and mitigation to climate change important. The findings of this study are significant for awareness at all levels of urban society of the activities and programs that allow for sustainable development in consideration of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measures that aim to enhance different environmental assets are increasingly conflicting also in urban areas and there is a lack as well as a need for science-based assessment tools that also provide solution-oriented approaches which work in practice. This paper aims to provide a new analytical framework for conflicts of interest between such measures. The framework is applied to climate change and biodiversity (including ecosystem) conservation law as well as thereon based measures and tested on the example of a city embedded in different geopolitical governance levels. The analysis is based on an in-depth literature review and develops an analytical framework in particular grounded upon differentiations between actions and inactions as well as between voluntary and compulsory activities. When testing this framework for the Viennese case, the authors systematically discuss the different types of Viennese endangered habitat types especially according to their required legal and other governance interventions, particularly under the climate change related forest law regime and biodiversity conservation law (both especially against the background of the Natura 2000 scheme of the European Union). The paper explains the logic and structure of the new framework and describes its theoretical applicability on conflicts of interests in general. Furthermore, the case study tested on the city of Vienna/Austria indicates also the practical applicability of the framework and offers different solution approaches de lege lata (how the law is) and de lege ferenda (how the law should be). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tranquil spaces can be found and made in the city and their promotion and use by residents and visitors is an important means of building resilience. Studies have shown that spaces that are rated by visitors as tranquil are more likely to produce higher levels of relaxation and less anxiety that should ultimately result in health and well-being benefits. Such spaces can therefore be classed as restorative environments. Tranquil spaces are characterized by a soundscape dominated by natural sounds and low levels of man-made noise. In addition, the presence of vegetation and wild life has been shown to be an important contributory factor. Levels of rated tranquillity can be reliably predicted using a previously developed model TRAPT and then used to design and identify tranquil spaces, improve existing green spaces and develop Tranquillity Trails to encourage usage. Tranquillity Trails are walking routes that have been designed to enable residents and visitors to reflect and recover from stress while receiving the benefits of healthy exercise. This paper describes Tranquillity Trails designed for three contrasting areas. Predictions of the rated tranquillity have been made along these routes and feedback from users was elicited at one site that confirmed the expected benefits. 199 words [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over that past decade, ecological restoration practices have expanded globally. However, the effectiveness of ecological restoration depends on the complex interactions of various natural and socioeconomic factors, about which there is limited scientific understanding and thus provides an important research frontier. This paper analyzed the relationship between regional scale vegetation restoration and the process of urbanization using the Loess Plateau of China as a case study. This region has experienced both rapid urbanization and a high number of vegetation restoration activities. Urbanization and vegetation restoration can be considered as extremes on the spectrum of environment preservation activities. Three separate spatial correlation analyses between urbanization and vegetation restoration were identified, resulting in: 1) insignificant correlations in saturated urban areas; 2) significant negative correlations in peri -urban areas; and 3) significant positive correlations in undeveloped areas. The relationship between urbanization and vegetation restoration is thus stage-dependent. Impacts of urbanization on vegetation degradation has improved but has not been fully addressed by large scale vegetation restoration. Regardless of whether the county or grid scale is used, peri -urbanization was found to be the critical factor affecting the effectiveness of vegetation restoration over both time and space. Therefore, peri -urbanized areas are viewed as priorities for improving the coupling of urban development and vegetation restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies show that municipalities often develop a type of urban greenspace that is rather uniform in its shape and use. Citizens’ initiatives develop different types of greenspace. This article uses concepts from transition studies and identifies what happens during a citizens’ initiative in urban greenspace in the Netherlands in terms of transition of municipal management and development and how these initiatives can lead to a change of practices of the municipality. A single, qualitative study of Diepenheim Inside-Out-Forest in the Netherlands as a critical case is presented, based on 8 semi-open interviews. The study gives insight in how the municipality has changed in relation to this one case, and how such transition of ‘regime’ takes place. The study explains how the different benefits that arise in a greenspace development and management initiative relate to the ‘critical knowledge’ and ‘situated knowledge’ of the actors involved and that the quality of urban greenspace is very much the result of that knowledge. ‘Fit and conform’ and ‘stretch and transform’ are usable strategies for the empowerment of such initiatives through sharing of resources, and policy advocacy by ‘critical niche’ innovators. ‘Regime’ is not uniquely a feature of the local state but also of market parties and citizens themselves with their own values and routines. A change among all parties seems needed if greenspace is to be developed, managed and used differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-density urban areas are often associated with limited outdoor natural ventilation. Given the growing call for more vegetation in cities, it is important to study the wind resistant of urban trees in order to address outdoor natural ventilation problem in the landscape planning. Currently, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation and wind tunnel experiment can only model the simplified street canyon with roadside trees, at the expense of intensive technical support and high computational cost. Thus, they are mostly for the research purpose only, and the impact of research outputs on the landscape planning remains low. In this study, we developed a practical semi-empirical model to provide scientific understandings for the landscape planning practice. The new model was developed based on the balance between momentum flux and the drag force of both buildings and trees on air flow. Friction velocity ( u * ) was modeled and validated by existing CFD and wind tunnel data, and effective frontal area density ( λ f _ tree ) was estimated by the measured leaf area index. Effects of urban context density and trees (i.e. plant canopy density and typology) on wind environment were clarified. This research correlated the urban density and tree geometry indices with wind speed, thereby enabling planners to calculate trees’ effects on airflow using their in-house data. With such new practical tool and understandings, the knowledge-based landscape planning can be conducted to introduce more trees into urban areas, while avoiding negative effects of trees on the outdoor wind environment at cities at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diagnostic equation for the urban heat island (UHI) effectwas evaluated by field observations in Nanjing, China. It is the first time for the equation to be evaluated in a city outside of Europe. The field observation was carried out based on the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) scheme, which aims to provide an objective and standardized classification protocol for urban temperature studies in any city. The diagnostic equation was tested for 7LCZ types under different weather conditions during the period from July to November 2016. The results show that the equation is capable of diagnosing the daily maximum UHI with an acceptable level of accuracy ( r 2 =0.46, RMSE =1.08 K, MEAE =0.76 K). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this letter is to raise some critical concerns and gaps in the booming literature on Smart Cities; concerns that we think deserve greater attention from scientists, policy makers and urban planners. Using an urban ecology lens, we provide some reflections that need to forgo any wider-scale implementation of the Smart City-model with the goal to enhance urban sustainability. We discuss that the Smart City literature must better include analysis around social sustainability issues for city dwellers. Focus here should start on health issues and more critical analysis about whom the Smart City is for. Also, the literature must address issues of resilience and cyber security, including how Smart City solutions may affect the autonomy of urban governance, personal integrity and how it may affect the resilience of infrastructures that provide inhabitants with basic needs, such as food, energy and water security. A third major gap in this literature is how smart city developments may change human-nature relations. Focus here should start on how Smart City technologies may hinder or support children’s learning towards a stronger psychological connection with nature. Discussions are also needed on how the Smart City model may affect pro-environmental behavior more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term observation of the urban ecological footprint will present useful knowledge of anthropogenic impact on and sustainable solutions for cities. This paper proposed a new framework to predict dynamic change and intrinsic structure of urban ecological footprint with the Markov chain. The system dynamic model based on Markov chain was then established for estimating Beijing's footprint during the period of 2001–2020. The results showed that Beijing's footprint kept stable in the long term due to steady consumption pattern and environmental mitigation policy. The footprint intensity has been decreasing constantly due to the expanding population against the stable total footprint. Energy consumption was found to be the major contributor to Beijing's footprint. Sensitivity analysis was also presented by testing the population and economic growth under five scenarios. This work may provide insights into the land metabolism mechanism and guidance for urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban settlements are home to the greatest levels of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption globally, with unprecedented rates of urban expansion occurring today. With the majority of global urbanization occurring along the periphery of urban areas in developing countries, investigation of 'green' building practices designed specifically for 'peri-urban' regions is critical for a low-emitting future society. This study assesses a state-of-the-art residence designed for a middle-class family of four residing in the peri-urban region of Bangkok, Thailand. The residence employs both demand-side management strategies and low-emitting energy supply technology to achieve energy-positive status. To elucidate the influence that key design decisions have on the life cycle sustainability of the home, several variants of the residence are modeled. A process-based life cycle assessment consistent with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14044:2006 standard and following ReCiPe Midpoint life cycle impact assessment methodology is used to quantify the life cycle impacts per square meter of conditioned residence floor area for climate change (582 kilograms [kg] carbon dioxide equivalent), terrestrial acidification (4.01 kg sulfur dioxide equivalent), freshwater eutrophication (30.4 grams phosphorous equivalent), fossil depletion (362 kg iron equivalent), and metal depletion (186 kg oil equivalent) impacts. We model multiple scenarios in which varying proportions of Bangkok's peri-urban detached housing demand are fulfilled by the energy-positive residence variants. Under the best-case replacement scenario (i.e., 100% replacement of future peri-urban detached housing), significant reductions are achieved across the life cycle climate change (80%), terrestrial acidification (82%), and fossil depletion (81%) impact categories for the steel-framed, energy-positive residence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous acid (HONO) plays an important role in the formation of OH radicals, which are involved in photochemical oxidation. HONO concentrations in ambient air at urban sites have previously been measured, but very few studies have been performed in central Tokyo. In this study, HONO concentrations in ambient air in southeast central Tokyo (near Tokyo Bay) in winter were determined by incoherent cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy. The O 3 , NO, NO 2 , and SO 2 concentrations were simultaneously determined. The NO concentrations were used to classify the parts of the study period into types I (high pollution), II (medium pollution), and III (low pollution). The maximum HONO concentrations in the type I, II, and III periods were 7.1, 4.5, and 3.0 ppbv, respectively. These concentrations were comparable to concentrations previously found in other Asian megacities. The mean HONO concentration varied diurnally, and HONO was depleted between 00:00 and 03:00 each day. The sampling site is surrounded by roads with high traffic loads, but vehicular emissions were estimated to contribute < 10% of the HONO concentrations. Two positive and negative relative humidity dependences of the HONO to NO 2 ratio were confirmed, implying the existence of the two different secondary formation process of HONO. The NO 2 to HONO conversion rates at night in the type I, II, and III periods were 6.3 × 10 − 3 , 7.6 × 10 − 3 , and 4.2 × 10 − 3 h − 1 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1939, the pioneer G. Vinaccia wrote Il Problema dell’Orientamento nell’Urbanistica dell’Antica Roma . In the manuscript, the author posited his theory on the strict relationship between the orientation of Roman founded cities and local environmental conditions, especially in relation to the winds. According to Vinaccia, the Roman grid was oriented to also take into account the main directions of ‘annoying’ (cold) and ‘unhealthy’ (hot-humid) local winds in order to avoid their penetration into the urban spaces. Evidence of Vinaccia's theory is contained in ancient texts, such as Vitruvius's De Architectura and Hyginius Gromaticus's De Castris Romanis . This work aims at verifying Vinaccia's statements on Roman competencies combining wind protection issues with those relating to the city foundation's strategies (such as military, political). The study was carried out on 15 Italian cities, which were analysed in relation both to urban form and the relationship between grid orientation and local wind conditions. The latter relationship was analysed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software produced by CONSELF ® . The results confirmed past abilities in ‘environmental urban design’, showing great attention from the Romans during the planning process towards local wind conditions, which were accurately used in order to improve the city's overall health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban landscapes harbor diverse man-made land-uses ranging from highly modified residential and industrial areas to semi-natural habitats with their associated biotic communities. Understanding the ecological patterns and processes of urban landscapes is required for the maintenance of urban biodiversity and planning in the face of expanding cities and increasing populations. Therefore, we studied the epigeic beetle communities in Bangalore city (India) to examine their responses to different types of urban land-uses. They were systematically sampled using pitfall traps from four land-use types (remnant forest patches, campuses, public parks and vacant residential plots). Different taxonomic groups within the epigeic beetle communities dominated different land-use types. In general, the alpha diversity was higher in residential plots and remnant forest patches than parks and campuses, indicating their differential responses to habitat disturbance. The overall beta diversity was high, with moderate levels of similarity between the sampled locations indicating spatial heterogeneity of urban environments. Among trophic guilds, predators and detrivores dominated residential plots and remnant forest patches, respectively. Finally, we conclude that future urban planning in Bangalore should include even small patches of natural vegetation for conservation of native flora and fauna, as these small patches can provide refuge to native biotic communities, including insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipalities are important actors in the field of local climate change adaptation. Stakeholders need scientifically sound information tailored to their needs to make local assessment of climate change effects. To provide tailored data to support municipal decision-making, climate scientists must know the state of municipal climate change adaptation, and the climate parameters relevant to decisions about such adaptation. The results of an empirical study in municipalities in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in Southwestern Germany showed that adaptation is a relatively new topic, but one of increasing importance. Therefore, past weather events that caused problems in a municipality can be a starting point in adaptation considerations. Deduction of tailored climate parameters has shown that, for decisions on the implementation of specific adaptation measures, it also is necessary to have information on specific parameters not yet evaluated in climate model simulations. We recommend intensifying the professional exchange between climate scientists and stakeholders in collaborative projects with the dual goals of making practical adaptation experience and knowledge accessible to climate science, and providing municipalities with tailored information about climate change and its effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is modifying previously pristine natural habitats and creating "new" ecosystems for wildlife. As a result, some animals now use habitat fragments or have colonized urban areas. Such animals are exposed to novel stimuli that they have not been exposed to in their evolutionary history. Some species have adapted to the challenges they face -- a phenomenon known as synurbanization -- while others have not. Here we present a review of the sublethal consequences of life in the city for wild vertebrates, and demonstrate that urban animals face an almost completely different set of physiological and behavioural challenges compared to their rural counterparts. We focus on the negative fitness-related impacts of urbanization, but also identify instances where there are benefits to wildlife. The effects of urbanization appear to be both species- and context-dependent, suggesting that although the field of urban ecology is far from nascent, we are still just beginning to understand how the intricacies of biodiversity on our planet are affected by our presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services (ESs) are gaining ground in urban policy as a key to attaining sustainable cities. However, strategic and land-use planners need operational and accessible tools to better understand the consequences of policy and planning measures. Based on a study of the City of Stockholm and its surrounding region, we argue that spatially explicit land-use mapping is a good base for modeling and visualizing the supply of urban ESs provided by different patterns of Service Providing Units. By adding more detailed characteristics of land use through the concept of Service Providing Elements (SPEs), and by assessing synergies and trade-offs between these attributes, implications for the supply of ESs at different scale levels could be identified and discussed. Detailed land-use mapping and ES modeling were applied to two future land-use alternatives. The supply of eight urban ESs was found to vary significantly between the two alternatives depending on the ratios of different SPEs, even within identical land-use classes. One of the land-use alternatives had significantly higher potential for food and energy provision, much higher air cooling and air quality regulation capacity especially in densely built areas, showed less surface sealing, and provided better conditions for mental recreation. The exception was supply of physical recreation opportunities, where the other land-use option had an advantage. These differences became more accentuated when we zoomed in on two local urban areas. Based on these findings, our main conclusion is that, in order to provide planning and policy-making with an adequate knowledge base, it is necessary to move beyond land-use classes, as defined by European data sets like Urban Atlas , and toward tools capable of capturing more detailed aspects of land use and its relations to the supply of urban ESs. This should be made a priority, especially in early stages of planning and policy formation, and also used to support development of urban by-laws, procurement arrangements, neighborhood and building certification, etc. The approaches used in the study can serve as a valid starting point for further development of such tools and methods compatible with planners’ ordinary working modes. However, to make such progress possible, the ecosystem service research community needs to step up to the challenge of delivering locally specific and useful data on how urban land-use links to ES supply, including synergies and trade-offs between different ESs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on environmental aspects of construction of Nusantara, new capital of Indonesia. Topics discussed include skeptical of plans for smart or sustainable cities, tropical deforestation of coastal mangroves and environmental impact of the construction of new capital on forests, swamps, and mountains, hosting numerous endemic and rare species of Borneo.

Urban heat island (UHI) effect, the side effect of rapid urbanization, has become an obstacle to the further healthy development of the city. Understanding its relationships with impact factors is important to provide useful information for climate adaptation urban planning strategies. For this purpose, the geographically-weighted regression (GWR) approach is used to explore the scale effects in a mountainous city, namely the change laws and characteristics of the relationships between land surface temperature and impact factors at different spatial resolutions (30-960 m). The impact factors include the Soil-adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), the Index-based Built-up Index (IBI), and the Soil Brightness Index (NDSI), which indicate the coverage of the vegetation, built-up, and bare land, respectively. For reference, the ordinary least squares (OLS) model, a global regression technique, is also employed by using the same dependent variable and explanatory variables as in the GWR model. Results from the experiment exemplified by Chongqing showed that the GWR approach had a better prediction accuracy and a better ability to describe spatial non-stationarity than the OLS approach judged by the analysis of the local coefficient of determination (R²), Corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc), and F-test at small spatial resolution (< 240 m); however, when the spatial scale was increased to 480 m, this advantage has become relatively weak. This indicates that the GWR model becomes increasingly global, revealing the relationships with more generalized geographical patterns, and then spatial non-stationarity in the relationship will tend to be neglected with the increase of spatial resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Transition Movement is based on the premise that the dual threats of Peak Oil and anthropogenic climate change require humans to re-think and re-design how they live, with the focus becoming the creation of resilient, sustainable communities. The first Transition Town was created in Totnes, UK, in 2005, and there are now Transition Towns worldwide. Using qualitative research methods, we explore the understudied affective, normative, and religio-ethical motivations of those engaged in the Transition Movement located in Totnes. Our research suggests that the Movement is guided by norms and ethics that are ecocentric, where nature is revered because it is made sacred in some way, and members can be classified as being part of a larger, emergent terrapolitan citizenry. We also briefly explore how the values and ethics of those in the Transition Movement trigger lifestyle changes which are more ecologically responsible than those offered by contemporary industrial societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightweight roof greening is an important way for improving urban ecological environment and has good ecological and social benefits, but the investment is-too-high for the investors. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the system of lightweight roof greening. This study introduced a lightweight roof greening mode with low cost, simple construction, rapid formation, good economic benefit and convenient curing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban societies are increasingly affected by climatic variability and extremes. In theory, adaptation policy creates the conditions needed to support autonomous adaptation - or deliver public adaptation if autonomous adaptation fails to develop. However, little attention has been given to autonomous adaptation by private households and individuals, and how it is taken into account in cities' strategic adaptation planning. Against this background, this paper examines the synergies between measures taken by city authorities and citizens, and, more specifically, how public adaptation planning enhances or inhibits private (individual) adaptation. Based on a literature review and an in-depth study of German municipalities, existing types of city-citizen interaction are systematized. The results show that targeted city-citizen collaboration for climate change adaptation is practically non-existent. City authorities rarely pay sufficient attention to financial and structural aid for individual adaptation. Conversely, the available municipal support for individual adaptation has little take-up by members of the public. Furthermore, urban policy and planning often counteract collaboration and the implementation of measures that meet citizens' capacities and needs. The paper concludes that improving city-citizen collaboration for adaptation co-production is an important step in fostering transformative adaptation, if the barriers and driving forces identified in the study are addressed. The framework that is presented advances theory on city-citizen interactions for adaptation co-production, providing a basis for related analyses, action and further research. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Policy and Governance published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas are probably the most fragmented environments with respect to the presence of semi-natural habitats and shape of these habitats may be significantly affected by urbanization. Patch perimeter in landscape or habitat studies is much less popular to study than patch area. The studied sites were situated in the industrial city of Pardubice, which is one of the ten largest cities in the Czech Republic with nearly 100,000 inhabitants. In total, 40 grasslands were studied within a circular area of 314 km. Butterflies and beetles with diurnal activity were studied during timed survey walks. A Simultaneous autoregressive model was used for test of the effect of biodiversity-area and biodiversity-perimeter relationships and for exclusion of potential bias caused by spatial autocorrelation. The models including patch perimeter performed better than those using patch area in explaining species richness, abundance and diversity of investigated organisms and were less influenced by spatial autocorrelation. The main conclusion and recommendation of the present study is that researchers should pay more attention to the possible influence of the patch perimeter as a potential predictor or co-predictor for landscape and habitat studies - especially in urban areas, where the negative effects of fragmentation might be much higher than in rural or more natural landscapes. Performing preliminary tests on comparisons between area and perimeter is highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of diet is pivotal in understanding a species, particularly for quantifying a predatory raptors' economic niche and potential for human-wildlife conflict. The crowned eagle ( Stephanoaetus coronatus) is one of Africa's apex predators and a population is present within the urban greenspace mosaic of Durban and Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In close association with urban development, the local population of crowned eagles has the potential to be a concern to the safety of domestic stock and pets. Time-lapse cameras were positioned at urban nest sites ( n = 11) to identify the prey composition during breeding, particularly in regards to taxa with human associations. The numerical proportion of avian prey, particularly hadeda ibis ( Bostricia hagedash) pulli, was several times greater than any previous diet description. The methodology used and the abundance of hadeda ibis in these urban environments are potential contributing factors. Rock hyrax ( Procavia capensis) was the primary prey and where hyrax were unavailable, the diet composition was broader and included more vervet monkeys ( Chlorocebus pygerythrus). It was found that domestic stock comprised 6 % of the identifiable prey. Contrary to popular belief, no dogs ( Canis familiaris) and few cats ( Felis domesticus) were delivered to the nest by breeding eagles in this study. The negative consequences of small proportions of pet losses should be considered against the majority of wildlife prey consumed, which also have various wildlife conflict interactions. Juvenile and sub-adult eagles are most frequently identified at in situ attacks of pets, particularly toy dog breeds. Further research on juvenile dispersal and winter diet will provide insights on the ecological impacts of eagle management strategies in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban ecosystems' demands for energy and materials are rapidly growing, as is the burden of wastes produced in utilizing these resources. Current consumption patterns are considered unsustainable, as they degrade resource stocks and ecosystem services that support human populations. While an urban metabolism approach is useful in analyzing resource flow dynamics that affect sustainability, challenges regarding data resolution and temporal and spatial consistency have been persistent issues in both time-series and comparative cross-sectional analyses. We envisioned that addressing these issues would allow a deeper examination of changes in metabolic trends and more robust comparison between urban ecosystems. To minimize inconsistencies, we conducted a time-series and cross-sectional metabolism analysis of three proximate urban ecosystems over a common time period. Our study compared the metabolism of Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties in North Carolina, USA using the highest available data resolution from 1985 to 2005. We found that high resolution temporal data made it possible to identify specific metabolic trends and suggest connections to changes in infrastructure, policy, and weather patterns using additional data resources. Analyzing proximate urban ecosystems over a common time period allowed us to identify the metabolic effects of policy, weather patterns, infrastructure, and waste management programs. In evaluating these outcomes, we demonstrate how urban metabolism analyses could be a valuable tool for management and planning related to resource and energy flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urbanization intensifies, urban ecosystems are increasingly under pressure from a range of threats. Horizon scanning has the potential to act as an early warning system, thereby initiating prompt discussion and decision making about threat mitigation. We undertook a systematic horizon scanning exercise, using a modified Delphi technique and experts from wide-ranging disciplines, to identify emerging threats in urban ecosystems. The 10 identified threats were generally associated with rapid advances in technology (eg solar panels, light-emitting diode lights, self-healing concrete) or with societal demands on urban nature (eg green prescriptions). Although many of the issues identified are also technological opportunities with recognized environmental benefits, we have highlighted emerging risks so that research and mitigation strategies can be initiated promptly. Given the accelerated rate of technological advancement and the increasing demands of urbanized populations, horizon scanning should be conducted routinely for urban ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing urban environments, as a context of complex social, economical, political and cultural relations, require a wide and complex range of approaches, perspectives and solutions to meet today's conditions and consequences of the continuing development process. New ideas on planning and design of cities are required. Confronting these challenges, landscape ecology provides many solutions regarding its definition. On the other hand, urban ecology as a successor of ecology, offers valuable principals for urban development and environmental awareness. According to increasing urbanization, landscape ecology should be more urbanized in future. Therefore, today a new concept of "urban landscape ecology" emerges with yet no single definition. This article first defines the concepts of ecological paradigm and their impact on its alteration in relation to urban landscape. Thereinafter, modified concepts of "urban landscape ecology" and "landscapeoriented ecologic urbanism" are offered. The friction between the definitions of landscape, city and ecology is what empowers urban landscape ecology as a base for planning and design. Such a definition makes landscape architects draw their professional concentration from the suburbs to the city where human systems are to be considered as a part of ecology. Landscape-oriented urbanism suggests three research paths: the evolution of aesthetic perception; a deeper understanding of the role of human in ecology; and learning in action. "Landscape-oriented urbanism" considers the application of processes that facilitate design in naturally and culturally complex and dynamic systems. Therefore, landscape-oriented urbanism is necessarily beyond a new urbanism; since it is faced with problems beyond the urban form and focuses on more complex issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure, function, and services of urban ecosystems evolve over time scales from seconds to centuries as Earth's population grows, infrastructure ages, and sociopolitical values alter them. In order to systematically study changes over time, the concept of "urban evolution" was proposed. It allows urban planning, management, and restoration to move beyond reactive management to predictive management based on past observations of consistent patterns. Here, we define and review a glossary of core concepts for studying urban evolution, which includes the mechanisms of urban selective pressure and urban adaptation. Urban selective pressure is an environmental or societal driver contributing to urban adaptation. Urban adaptation is the sequential process by which an urban structure, function, or services becomes more fitted to its changing environment or human choices. The role of water is vital to driving urban evolution as demonstrated by historical changes in drainage, sewage flows, hydrologic pulses, and long-term chemistry. In the current paper, we show how hydrologic traits evolve across successive generations of urban ecosystems via shifts in selective pressures and adaptations over time. We explore multiple empirical examples including evolving: (1) urban drainage from stream burial to stormwater management; (2) sewage flows and water quality in response to wastewater treatment; (3) amplification of hydrologic pulses due to the interaction between urbanization and climate variability; and (4) salinization and alkalinization of fresh water due to human inputs and accelerated weathering. Finally, we propose a new conceptual model for the evolution of urban waters from the Industrial Revolution to the present day based on empirical trends and historical information. Ultimately, we propose that water itself is a critical driver of urban evolution that forces urban adaptation, which transforms the structure, function, and services of urban landscapes, waterways, and civilizations over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for an increased emphasis on the institutions of risk governance and management in understanding urban resilience. This moves analysis of vulnerability away from a focus on individuals to also consider risk management regimes as co-productive of vulnerability and resilience in the City. This is illustrated through the application of an Adaptive Capacity Index to unpack the role played by formal governance institutions in mediating resilience to extreme heat events in the empirical case of London. Analysis shows that the configuration of risk at the institutional level directs heat wave risk management through the health services, and operationalises it during the emergency phase of hazard onset. This misses an important opportunity for integrating individual and regime level risk management initiatives, which we proposed can be worked out through greater collaboration with social services and interaction with those caring for the vulnerable, has yet to be fully integrated into planning and practice in London and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The compilation of data inventories regarding the distribution, composition, availability and structure of the variety of trees species in a certain urban area constitutes a necessary stage in urban forestry management. Havana's El Vedado has been historically characterized by its tree-lined streets. However, the current quantitative and qualitative deficiencies of its tree species affect significantly the urban image of the area and the well-being of its inhabitants, while also restricting the benefits provided by the trees and increasing their vulnerability. This paper presents a report of the first results of a spatial database of El Vedado's tree-lined streets, created through meticulous identification of tree species and the spaces where they belong. The data collected include information on basic aspects such as tree composition, density, size, growth performance and limitations. This type of study may prove very useful in helping to identify the characteristics that maybe used to select tree species better suited for landscape design in urban areas of Cuba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-cities have attracted international attention from governments, corporations, academics and other actors seeking to use sustainable urban planning to reduce urban environmental impacts. China has devoted significant political will and economic resources to the development of new-build eco-city projects, reflecting the Chinese government's goals to build a 'harmonious society' in which environmental sustainability and social stability are mutually reinforcing. We critically analyse the case of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin eco-city to demonstrate that the eco-city's ecologically modernizing visions of eco-urbanism construct a protective environment for its residents that constrains broader consideration of social sustainability. Through analysis of the marketing and presentation of specific domestic and other spaces of the eco-city, we examine the application of ecologically modernizing construction and technology to the design of the city. We argue that the eco-city is discursively constructed as ecologically beneficial for its inhabitants rather than for the broader socio-environmental landscape. Our analysis of residential spaces in Tianjin eco-city introduces the question of what 'eco' means when considering the construction of eco-urban environments for the city's residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cities have taken initiatives to achieve more sustainable development or to become ecological cities. In this paper, ten dimensions are suggested for defining ecological cities and an effort has been made to provide indicators to measure them. Many cities claim to be ecological cities, but there are no non-ambiguous definitions of ecological cities and few efforts have been made to measure to what extent the cities have achieved their goal. This paper considers the efforts of Beijing and Rotterdam to become more eco cities, using these dimensions. What can we learn from these experiences for developing the city of the future? In an illustrative effort to apply the suggested criteria, Rotterdam scored slightly better than Beijing. The latter city is facing more serious environmental problems and is willing to try more innovative solutions, while Rotterdam spends more money on prevention and CO reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I discuss historic and contemporary relationships between landscape design, housing and everyday uses of green space in urban China. By drawing together writing focused on theorizing nature and everyday life, I offer critical insights into urban political, economic, social and cultural change in Chinese cities. The paper begins with a review of religious philosophies and cultural traditions relating to the development of Chinese gardens and then discusses the impact of the introduction of 'western' style public parks alongside the emergence of modern urban planning and design. The second half of the paper traces how changing notions of nature and everyday life can be mapped onto housing development and associated urban social and spatial inequalities. In conclusion, I highlight how critical insights at the intersection of thinking on nature and everyday life can inform socially progressive urban development, planning and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we first analyze the 5 most cited papers with the title containing “Urban ecosystem health” in Chinese academic journals, and 5 newer papers retrieved from the CSSCI (Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index). The results show that the number of indicators to be used together in more than three papers is 28, and then we select 27 of them to assess Beijing and Shanghai's urban ecosystem health from 2000 to 2011. Secondly, when we standardize the original data, the worst value adjustment coefficient is introduced innovatively. Thirdly, using the entropy method, the weights of concrete indicators of Beijing and Shanghai in the different adjustment coefficients are calculated respectively. Fourthly, based on the fuzzy matter-element method, using the Hamming approach degree, the two cities' ecosystem health index and the contribution value to overall health index from each component are calculated. Lastly, using gray prediction model, the evolutionary time response sequence function of Beijing and Shanghai's urban ecosystem health index is identified, and thus both cities' urban ecosystem health is predicted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Urban dwellers often have little knowledge of local ecosystems, but community groups that actively manage local ecosystems can acquire a rich ecological knowledge. Understanding the knowledge transfer process within community groups contributes to the continuous improvement of urban ecosystem management. In this paper, we address three main questions: (1) How is ecological knowledge acquisition linked to boundary and intra-group interactions? (2) Does holding knowledge mean the involvement in actual management activities? (3) Does the aging of community group members threaten the continuity of activities? We selected satoyama woodlands (seminatural woodlands) in peri-urban Tokyo, Japan as a study site. We used a mixed method approach that combined a qualitative interview with a quantitative questionnaire. We found that boundary interactions were particularly important at the start of an urban ecological management process, to obtain basic knowledge relating to management activities. Intra-group interaction contributed to knowledge transfer after the starting period. We found that participants possessing considerable ecological knowledge do not necessarily participate in management activities. Findings also indicated that the aging of group members in groups established for more than 10 years was an area of concern for the continuity of group activities. New members did not necessarily solve this aging issue. We conclude that further measures and actions are needed to ensure long-term knowledge transfer among the participants of community groups in urban ecosystem management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We developed a 7-compartment ecological network model for Beijing's urban system. [•] We analyzed the degree of mutualism (synergism) of each ecological relationship. [•] Based on the synergism, we determined the utilities for each compartment. [•] We identified the relationships that increased and decreased mutualism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: If cities are considered as “superorganisms”, then disorders of their metabolic processes cause something analogous to an “urban disease”. It is therefore helpful to identify the causes of such disorders by analyzing the inner mechanisms that control urban metabolic processes. Combining input–output analysis with ecological network analysis lets researchers study the functional relationships and hierarchy of the urban metabolic processes, thereby providing direct support for the analysis of urban disease. In this paper, using Beijing as an example, we develop a model of an urban metabolic system that accounts for the intensity of the embodied ecological elements using monetary input–output tables from 1997, 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2007, and use this data to compile the corresponding physical input–output tables. This approach described the various flows of ecological elements through urban metabolic processes and let us build an ecological network model with 32 components. Then, using two methods from ecological network analysis (flow analysis and utility analysis), we quantitatively analyzed the physical input–output relationships among urban components, determined the ecological hierarchy of the components of the metabolic system, and determined the distribution of advantage-dominated and disadvantage-dominated relationships, thereby providing scientific support to guide restructuring of the urban metabolic system in an effort to prevent or cure urban “diseases”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

How does an average, aging society deal with the challenges of climatic and demographic change? In reality, the effects vary regionally. This paper explores how an urban society responds to the challenge of increasing summer temperatures using the example of Aachen, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The research started with the perception of heat in the working and living environment of older and thus particularly vulnerable residents. As actors of urban development actively influence living and working conditions, their projected need for action is compared to the results of a survey of the residents. It clearly showed that demographic, socio-cultural, spatial, and construction factors affected the perceptions of the residents. Climate change awareness and possible adaptation measures usually exist, but, in general, initiatives are only taken if the effect is noticed by an individual. Although not all residents and stakeholders of Aachen perceived heat waves as a problem, a variety of adaptation strategies could be established. They ranged from aspired lifestyle over individual and short-term behavioral changes to urban planning, architectural and technical measures. These measures can be used to raise awareness of climate issues and implement adaptation strategies. Thereby, all stakeholders and residents, employers and employees, homeowners and tenants, planners, architects and developers, investors and users, etc., are asked to take responsibility within their field. English title: Adjustment through Acceptance – The Approach of Local Actors to Summer Heat Waves [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resource shortages and environmental problems that cities face can be attributed to their increasing metabolic throughflow and their metabolic inefficiency. To support urban ecological management, it is necessary to identify the main metabolic actors responsible for these problems and analyze the characteristics of their metabolic structure. In this paper, we divide a typical urban metabolic system into seven components. Using material-flow analysis, we accounted for the amounts of resources and wastes transferred among the system''s components and between the system and its environment, using Beijing from 1998 to 2007 as a case study. We used four indicators (metabolic scale, intensity, efficiency, and impact) to represent the inner structural characteristics of the urban metabolic system and analyzed the system based on the proposed indicators. The results provide scientific support for identifying the key metabolic actors responsible for urban metabolic disorders by accurately characterizing the city''s metabolic status. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Landscape connectivity, defined as the degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes movement among resource patches, has been considered to be a key issue for biodiversity conservation. However, the use of landscape connectivity measurements has been strongly criticised due to uncertainties in the methods used and the lack of validation. Moreover, measurements are typically restricted to the population level, whereas management is generally carried out at the community level. Here, we used satellite imagery and network metrics to predict the landscape connectivity at community level for semi-natural herbaceous patches in an urban area near Paris (France). We tested different measurement methods, both taking into account and ignoring the spatial heterogeneity of matrix resistance estimated by the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), and quantifying the link strength between patches with the shortest path and flow metrics. We assessed the fit of these connectivity predictions with empirical data on plant communities embedded in an urban matrix. Our results indicate that the best fit with the empirical data is obtained when the connectivity is estimated with the flow metric and takes into account the matrix heterogeneity. Overall, our study helps to estimate the landscape connectivity of urban areas and makes recommendations for ways in which we might optimise landscape planning with respect to conservation of urban biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]