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A review on the role of green vegetation in improving urban environmental quality

The exacerbation of climate change impacts within metropolitan areas is a well-documented phenomenon, often leading to severe consequences that pose significant risks to human populations. The impact of urban vegetation and planting design on these factors can be observed. However, it is worth mentioning that while there is an extensive body of literature on the consequences of climate change, there is a relatively small number of studies specifically focused on examining the role of vegetation as a mitigating factor in urban environments. This review paper aims to critically examine existing studies pertaining to the role of urban vegetation in mitigating the detrimental effects of the urban environment. The objective is to offer practical recommendations that can be implemented by city planners. By conducting a comprehensive examination of the literature available in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, employing specific keywords pertaining to urban vegetation and climate change, we have identified five prominent concerns pertaining to the urban environment. These concerns encompass particulate matter, gaseous pollution, noise pollution, water runoff, and the urban heat island effect. The present analysis highlights that the impact of urban vegetation on the negative consequences of climate change cannot be unequivocally classified as either positive or negative. This is due to the fact that the influence of urban greenery is intricately connected to factors such as the arrangement, makeup, and dispersion of vegetation, as well as the specific management criteria employed. Hence, this research has the potential to enhance comprehension of the multifaceted nature of urban green spaces and establish a solid groundwork for subsequent investigations.

Analytical study on the coupling coordination degree of tourism and urban development—Taking Shaanxi as an example

Tourism has been instrumental in fostering regional economic growth, enhancing the quality of life of residents, and boosting the image of urban areas in Shaanxi, thanks to the accelerated economic and social development of recent years. Nevertheless, the issue of aligning urban development and tourism in terms of space, resources, and the industrial chain remains a significant concern. This paper establishes an evaluation index system for tourism and urban development in the Shaanxi region from 2009 to 2019. It then employs the systematic coupling coordination model to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the coupling coordination degree of tourism and urban development in the region, as well as its various influencing factors. The study demonstrates that the coupling and coordination degree of tourism and urban development in the Shaanxi region exhibited a trend of continuous improvement from 2009 to 2019. The region underwent three stages of development: “uncoordinated development (2009–2011), transformation development (2012–2016), and coordinated development (2017–2019).” The coupling coordination level was elevated from “mild dissonance” to “intermediate coordination” in 2019. In contrast, the tourism economic development of Shaanxi cities remains unequal, as evidenced by the existence of two distinct categories of development: the “lagging tourism economy” and the “coordinated tourism economy.” The findings of this investigation indicate that the general trend of urban development and tourism in Shaanxi is favorable; however, the disparities in the progress of the tourism economy among cities necessitate additional regional coordination and cooperation. The theoretical support for the relevant research and a reference basis for tourism development planning and urban policy making are provided by the evaluation index system and the systematic coupling coordination model proposed in this paper. This will facilitate the sustainable and coordinated development of the tourism industry and cities in Shaanxi.

Protocol for a systematic review of the health impact of urban farming interventions

Brianda Daniela Flores-García, Georgina Mayela Núñez-Rocha, María Natividad Ávila-Ortíz, Karina Janett Hernández-Ruiz, Guillermo Cano-Verdugo

Article ID: 2786
Vol 5, Issue 2, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54517/ec2786

Received: 10 October 2024; Accepted: 5 November 2024; Available online: 21 November 2024;
Issue release: 30 December 2024

VIEWS - 59 (Abstract)

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Abstract

Urban farms are areas specifically dedicated to growing plants for purposes related to food security, medicinal use, and therapeutic benefits. Their prevalence has increased notably since the beginning of the 21st century, and they are associated with numerous health advantages. However, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the health impacts of urban farming. In this manuscript, we present a protocol for a systematic review which aims to provide comprehensive insight into required methods used to assess health outcomes from urban farming interventions and is registered in PROSPERO under the reference number CRD42023448001. The protocol will adhere to the PRISMA guidelines, including studies addressing urban farming interventions for any population, with no restrictions on the year of publication, in databases such as PubMed, DOAJ, CAB Abstracts, and NIH. The ROBINS-I tool will assess bias, and the certainty of evidence will be evaluated using the GRADE framework. The data will be synthesized narratively in accordance with SWiM guidelines, aligning with WHO health concepts.

Keywords

urban farming; health; repercussions; benefits; impact

References

1. Harada K, Hino K, Iida A, et al. How Does Urban Farming Benefit Participants’ Health? A Case Study of Allotments and Experience Farms in Tokyo. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(2): 542. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020542

2. Song S, Hou Y, Lim RBH, et al. Comparison of vegetable production, resource-use efficiency and environmental performance of high-technology and conventional farming systems for urban agriculture in the tropical city of Singapore. Science of The Total Environment. 2022; 807: 150621. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150621

3. Nowysz A, Mazur Ł, Vaverková MD, et al. Urban Agriculture as an Alternative Source of Food and Water Security in Today’s Sustainable Cities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(23): 15597. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315597

4. van Delden SH, SharathKumar M, Butturini M, et al. Current status and future challenges in implementing and upscaling vertical farming systems. Nature Food. 2021; 2(12): 944-956. doi: 10.1038/s43016-021-00402-w

5. Muzzioli L, Donini LM, Mazziotta M, et al. How Much Do Front-Of-Pack Labels Correlate with Food Environmental Impacts? Nutrients. 2023; 15(5): 1176. doi: 10.3390/nu15051176

6. Lu C, Shi L, Fu L, et al. Urban Ecological Environment Quality Evaluation and Territorial Spatial Planning Response: Application to Changsha, Central China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(4): 3753. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043753

7. Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, et al. PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guide for the publication of systematic reviews (Spanish). Revista Española de Cardiología (English Edition). 2021; 74(9): 790-799. doi: 10.1016/j.rec.2021.07.010

8. Balduzzi S, Rücker G, Schwarzer G. How to perform a meta-analysis with R: a practical tutorial. Evidence Based Mental Health. 2019; 22(4): 153-160. doi: 10.1136/ebmental-2019-300117

9. DePasquale EAK, Alganem K, Bentea E, et al. KRSA: An R package and R Shiny web application for an end-to-end upstream kinase analysis of kinome array data. Ginsberg SD, ed. PLOS ONE. 2021; 16(12): e0260440. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260440

10. Mazza E, Ferro Y, Pujia R, et al. Mediterranean Diet in Healthy Aging. The Journal of nutrition, health and aging. 2021; 25(9): 1076-1083. doi: 10.1007/s12603-021-1675-6

11. De La Garza-Ramos MA, Ipiña-Lozano HH, Cano-Verdugo G, Nakagoshi-Cepeda MAA, Liu Y. Application of Robotics in Orthodontics: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2024 Apr 18;16(4): e58555. doi: 10.7759/cureus.58555. PMID: 38765377; PMCID: PMC11102082.

12. Mumtaz L, Farid A, Yousef Alomar S, et al. Assesment of polyphenolic compounds against biofilms produced by clinical Acinetobacter baumannii strains using in silico and in vitro models. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. 2023; 30(9): 103743. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103743

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Copyright (c) 2024 Brianda Daniela Flores-García, Georgina Mayela Núñez-Rocha, María Natividad Ávila-Ortíz, Karina Janett Hernández-Ruiz, Guillermo Cano-Verdugo

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

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Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

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