The research demonstrates for the first time how investors as well as citizens benefit from compact urban forms with good public transport connections, shared green spaces, and a mix of housing, shops, services, and businesses rather than urban sprawl.

Recognising the role of urban greenery in ameliorating the environment, countering the adverse effects of climate change, reducing pollution, providing healthy lung spaces and recreational spots in urban areas, the Government of Andhra Pradesh envisions “Andhra Pradesh Urban Greening Policy - 2018”.

Societies face the challenge of keeping people active as they age. Walkable neighborhoods have been associated with physical activity, but more rigorous analytical approaches are needed. Researchers used longitudinal data from adult residents of Brisbane, Australia (40–65 years of age at baseline) to estimate effects of changes in neighborhood characteristics over a 6-y period on the likelihood of walking for transport.

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Cool materials with higher solar reflectance compared with conventional materials of the same color are widely used to maintain cooler urban fabrics when exposed to solar irradiation and to mitigate the Urban Heat Island (UHI). Photo-catalytic coatings are also useful to reduce air pollutants. Many studies related to these topics have been carried out during the past few years, although the lighting implication of reflective coatings have hardly been explored.

Many cities are already demonstrating their commitments to a more sustainable future and there are many excellent examples of green urban development, according to a new FAO publication called "Forests and sustainable cities - Inspiring stories from around the world" launched on the occasion of the International Day of Forests.

As urban overheating is increasing, there is a strong public interest towards mitigation strategies to enhance comfortable urban spaces, for their role in supporting urban metabolism and social life. The study presents an assessment of the existing thermal comfort and usage of San Silvestro Square in Rome during the summer, and performs the simulation of cooling strategies scenarios, to understand their mitigation potential for renovation projects.

This report contains ideas and case studies from around the world that showcase best practices in sustainable design for arid cities. At the heart of the report sit three key recommendations to shape the next century of city building in arid regions: Learning from the past.

Green roofs offer a series of benefits to buildings and to the urban environment. Their use in dry climates requires optimizing the choice of their components (i.e., vegetation, substrate and drainage layer) for the specific local climatic conditions, in order to minimize irrigations needs while preserving the attributes of the roof. In this study, we calibrated and validated an existing hydrological model—IHMORS—for the simulation of the hydrological performance of green roofs.

Green areas induce smaller increases in the air temperature than built-up areas. They can offer a solution to mitigating the urban heat island impacts during heat waves, since the cool air generated by a park is diffused into its immediate surroundings through forced or natural convection. The purpose of this study is to characterize the effect of several variables (park size, morphology of surrounding urban area, and wind speed) on the spreading of cool air.

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Environmentalists in the Taj city have scored a major victory, successfully stalling the Northern Bypass road project through the protected Keetham forest along the Yamuna.

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