Urban environment
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Global homogenization of the structure and function in the soil microbiome of urban greenspaces Open
This study provides new insights into how the soil microbiome of urban greenspaces differs from surrounding natural ecosystems.
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Restorative effects of urban green environments and the role of urban-nature orientedness and noise sensitivity: A field experiment Open
In this experiment we investigated how individual differences in orientation towards built vs. nature environment as well as noise sensitivity affect psychological and physiological restoration in a constructed urban park, urban woodland a…
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It is not all bad for the grey city – A crossover study on physiological and psychological restoration in a forest and an urban environment Open
Today, urbanization presents a challenge to urban planning with regard to creating healthy living environments. The aim of this research is to gain further knowledge of the restorativeness of a best case urban and natural environment: that…
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Effects of biodiversity and environment-related attitude on perception of urban green space Open
Green space in cities contributes to the quality of life for city dwellers, e.g., by increasing the opportunity for recreation. However, perception of urban green space is influenced by multiple factors. We investigated effects of biodiver…
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The Restorative Value of the Urban Environment: A Systematic Review of the Existing Literature Open
Background: Stress poses a major issue in our modern society, making restoration an important research focus. Restoration likelihood has mostly been observed in nature, which was compared with urban environments that have little restorativ…
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Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to analyze brain region activity when viewing landscapes Open
Over the years, the restorative benefits of the natural environment have been taken seriously. These restorative effects continue to be verified in research from both the psychological and physiological perspectives. The latest functional …
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The relationships between meteorological parameters and air pollutants in an urban environment Open
Meteorological parameters play a significant role in affecting ambient air quality of an urban environment. As Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, is one of the air pollution hotspot among the megacities in the world, however the potent…
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Blackening and odorization of urban rivers: a bio-geochemical process Open
Urban rivers constitute a major part of urban drainage systems, and play critical roles in connecting other surface waters in urban areas. Black-odorous urban rivers are widely found in developing countries experiencing rapid urbanization,…
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Effects of viewing forest landscape on middle-aged hypertensive men Open
With increasing attention on the health benefits of a forest environment, evidence-based research is required. This study aims to provide scientific evidence concerning the physiological and psychological effects of exposure to the forest …
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Quantifying the Effects of Urban Form on Land Surface Temperature in Subtropical High-Density Urban Areas Using Machine Learning Open
It is widely acknowledged that urban form significantly affects urban thermal environment, which is a key element to adapt and mitigate extreme high temperature weather in high-density urban areas. However, few studies have discussed the i…
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Effects of urban street trees on human thermal comfort and physiological indices: a case study in Changchun city, China Open
Planting trees along urban streets is one of the most important strategies to improve the urban thermal environment. However, the net impacts of urban street trees on human thermal comfort and physiological parameters are still less clear.…
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The impact of walking in different urban environments on brain activity in older people Open
Neurourbanism looks to understand the relationship between urban environments and mental wellbeing and is well placed to assess the role of these environments on the urbanised and ageing global population. This study builds on research usi…
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Urban surface uses for climate resilient and sustainable cities: A catalogue of solutions Open
In the current scenario of massive urbanization and global climate change, the urban surfaces and their characteristics have a key role, as they significantly influence the quality of life in urban areas, as well as their environmental con…
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Influence of built environment on outdoor thermal comfort: A comparative study of new and old urban blocks in Guangzhou Open
Urban populations face increasing heat stress in cities. However, the influence of the built environment of new and old urban blocks on pedestrian thermal comfort remains unclear. This study selected typical old (Yongqingfang) and new urba…
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Restorative Qualities of and Preference for Natural and Urban Soundscapes Open
Psychological restoration in urban agglomerations has become a growing challenge. Although scientific proof of the significance of nature is irrefutable, an increase in built-up areas has led to a decrease in urban greenery. Thus, a growin…
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Fat and happy in the city: Eastern chipmunks in urban environments Open
Cities are rapidly expanding, and wildlife may experience different selection pressures in urban environments when compared to natural habitats. Phenotypic differences between urban and natural populations may occur because of the altered …
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Illuminating for Safety: Investigating the Role of Lighting Appraisals on the Perception of Safety in the Urban Environment Open
In two studies, we took a prospect–refuge based perspective to investigate how lighting and other physical attributes (i.e., prospect, concealment, and entrapment) affect people’s judgments of the safety of urban streets during nighttime. …
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Restorative urban environments for healthy cities: a theoretical model for the study of restorative experiences in urban built settings Open
Urban landscapes are becoming the main ecosystem for human life. Given that urban living can be associated with poor psychological health, one specific challenge faced by cities is related to psychological well-being. The current essay dis…
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Assessing the Urban Eco-Environmental Quality by the Remote-Sensing Ecological Index: Application to Tianjin, North China Open
The remote-sensing ecological index (RSEI), which is built with greenness, moisture, dryness, and heat, has become increasingly recognized for its use in urban eco-environment quality assessment. To improve the reliability of such assessme…
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Vertical gardens as a restorative tool in urban spaces of New Cairo Open
Rapid urban growth and high density limited green areas in urban spaces of New Cairo. Growing literature propose vertical gardens to increase green areas with various potentials. The study is testing the hypothesis of vertical gardens, as …
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Restoration and the City: The Role of Public Urban Squares Open
Over recent decades, the study of psychological restoration has attracted a considerable amount of interest within and without the boundaries of environmental psychology, with most of the work focused on analyzing restoration in natural co…
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The Impact of Green Roofs on the Parameters of the Environment in Urban Areas—Review Open
This study presents the results of a review of publications conducted by researchers in a variety of climates on the implementation of ‘green roofs’ and their impact on the urban environment. Features of green roofs in urban areas have bee…
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Population-Based Study on the Effect of a Forest Environment on Salivary Cortisol Concentration Open
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a forest environment on salivary cortisol concentration, particularly on the characteristics of its distribution. The participants were 348 young male subjects. The experimental sites…
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Effects of Culture and the Urban Environment on the Development of the Ebbinghaus Illusion Open
The development of visual context effects in the Ebbinghaus illusion in the United Kingdom and in remote and urban Namibians (UN) was investigated (N = 336). Remote traditional Himba children showed no illusion up until 9–10 years, whereas…
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Modelling urban vibrancy with mobile phone and OpenStreetMap data Open
The concept of urban vibrancy has become increasingly important in the study of cities. A vibrant urban environment is an area of a city with high levels of human activity and interactions. Traditionally, studying our cities and what makes…
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Numerical evaluation of enhanced green infrastructures for mitigating urban heat in a desert urban setting Open
The cities of desert climates are anticipated to recognize a synergy of urban heat island (UHI) and severe heat waves during summertime. To improve the urban thermal environment, the present study aims quantitatively explore a strategicall…
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Stimulating urban walking environments – Can we measure the effect? Open
Walking is an outdoor mobility. Understanding how urban environments influence the experience of walking enables walking to be supported through urban planning and design. This research demonstrates that the effect of a stimulating walking…
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An Empirical Analysis of the Coupling Coordination among Decomposed Effects of Urban Infrastructure Environment Benefit: Case Study of Four Chinese Autonomous Municipalities Open
The environment benefit of urban public infrastructure is the positive influence on the natural ecological environment generated by the use of urban infrastructure. This paper decomposes urban infrastructure environment benefit into three …
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Impact of Urban built-up volume on Urban environment: A Case of Jakarta Open
In this paper, the spatial patterns of urban form (e.g., 2D and 3D characteristics) from 2000 to 2020 in Jakarta are assessed and the interdependent relationships between urban built-up volume and urban environment are examined. Jakarta ex…
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Nocturnal new particle formation events in urban environments Open
Few studies have investigated nocturnal new particle formation (NPF) events, and none of them were conducted in urban environments. Nocturnal NPF can potentially be a significant source of particles in urban areas, and studying them would …