An Estimation of Oxygen Release from Green Surfaces in Durres City

Due to urbanization trend in Durres city, distance between city inhabitants and nature is increasing. Urban greenery is one of the methods to bridge this gap between people and nature. The study results were performed with the cooperation of EPER Center, professors and students of Durres “Aleksander Moisiu” University. It was focused in the estimation of O2 release from green surfaces at different areas of Durres city. The results achieved were carried out by field visits, the use of the GIS method and calculations performed based on various standard manuals. According to the results, it was concluded that the total amount of O2 release from green surfaces was 64420 kg/year or 64.4 t /year. It was also calculated that the available green surface for a resident in Durres city is only 1.05 m2 out of required 9 m2 per capita. Based on the needs of the population and the EU standards, this study suggests that the amount of O2 release should be 1.49∙ 108 kg/year or 1.49. 5∙ 105 t/year. The needed costs to be invested to achieve this O2 amount, is about 47 .65 billion ALL. Finally, it can be concluded that the low number of trees in Durres city, requires urgent provisions to improve air, and life quality of Durres citizens.

Tree Cover Ratio Effects on Users’ Perceptions, Impressions and Suitability Judgment for Different Activities in Privately Owned Public Spaces

People are drawn to natural settings because they instinctively associate them with providing, nurturing environments. Many studies have linked higher urban greenery ratios to social, psychological, economic, and human health improvements. While urban greenery benefits a large number of people, the monetary burden of its installation and maintenance falls typically to local governments or private entities, requiring urban designers to be able to justify the higher costs of implementation and maintenance. To date, there is still no precise data linking tree cover ratio and the specific effects it has on peoples’ perceptions and impressions of urban plazas or in the environment’s suitability for different activities. This study expands on the findings of previous studies to explore the effects of tree cover ratio and environment scale across twenty-three different evaluation scales. It used immersive virtual environments to control for confounding variables and head-mounted displays to present the stimuli, allowing participants to experience the environment in its totality as in a natural setting. Higher tree cover ratios improved participants’ willingness to stay and pay for goods, improved perception, impressions, and how suitable the environment was for different activities. The specific effects on five measurement scales for activities, nine measurement scales for impression and seven different measurement scales for perception are shown as well as the effects of the interaction of tree cover ratio and environment scale.The effects of sex and architectural background are also tested and discussed. Results offer designers with evidence for the definition of tree amount in relation to environment scale, based on the desired effect.

How Do Nature-Based Solutions’ Color Tones Influence People’s Emotional Reaction? An Assessment via Virtual and Augmented Reality in a Participatory Process

Simulations of urban transformations are an effective tool for engaging citizens and enhancing their understanding of urban design outcomes. Citizens’ involvement can positively contribute to foster resilience for mitigating the impact of climate change. Successful integration of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) into the urban fabric enables both the mitigation of climate hazards and positive reactions of citizens. This paper presents two case studies in a southern district of Milan (Italy), investigating the emotional reaction of citizens to existing urban greenery and designed NBS. During the events, the participants explored in Virtual Reality (VR) (n = 48) and Augmented Reality (AR) (n = 63) (i) the district in its current condition and (ii) the design project of a future transformation including NBS. The environmental exploration and the data collection took place through the exp-EIA© method, integrated into the mobile app City Sense. The correlations between the color features of the viewed landscape and the emotional reaction of participants showed that weighted saturation of green and lime colors reduced the unpleasantness both in VR and AR, while the lime pixel area (%) reduced the unpleasantness only in VR. No effects were observed on the Arousal and Sleepiness factors. The effects show high reliability between VR and AR for some of the variables. Implications of the method and the benefits for urban simulation and participatory processes are discussed.

Condition of urban park infrastructure in the context of perceived security of park users

Personal security is one of the key aspects affected by the perception of urban greenery, which plays an important role for city dwellers. The survey conducted in Poland in 2020 (N=394) aimed to check how important for park users in context of perceived security are selected factors related to maintenance of different types of park infrastructure (condition of equipment and pavement, also condition of greenery), level of park cleanliness (filling of the rubbish bins, litter on the ground, and graffiti on different types of facilities), and elements related to the use of park space (paths, varied topography, functional aids, and water). The condition of equipment was assessed as a factor of high impact (average of 4.13 in 5-point Likert scale), as well as the presence of park paths (4.02). The results indicate that all 10 of the examined factors are recognized as important (3 and higher). They also show that both women (compared to men) and older respondents (compared to those under 60) assessed higher the importance of factors related to the condition of elements of infrastructure and pavement, as well as the level of cleanliness in urban parks in shaping their personal sense of security.

Climate change and built environment - the role of urban greenery as a mitigation strategy in Greek urban areas

Extreme thermal conditions and heat waves, as a result of global warming, have increased in recent years. Especially in the Mediterranean area, cities face higher temperatures during summer months which severely affect thermal comfort and citizens’ well-being. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the role of urban greenery as a mitigation strategy and focuses on its effect towards the improvement of the urban microclimate and thermal comfort under extreme summer conditions. To this aim, a typical square, located in Athens, Greece, has been chosen as a case study. The microclimatic conditions are evaluated for its present state and after an increase of 20% of soil surface and 30% of trees, while both current (i.e., 2020) and future summer climatic conditions (for the year 2060) are examined. It was also proposed that all the soil surfaces would be covered in grass. The potential air temperature, mean radiant temperature and surface temperature are analysed by simulation means, using the ENVI-met microclimate simulation tool. The results of this study showed that increasing the vegetation ratio inside the study area contributes to considerably lower surface temperatures, while a significant reduction on mean radiant and air temperature at the pedestrian level is also achieved, forming better microclimate conditions. Urban greenery is an important factor for healthy and resilient cities. Its presence can provide lower temperatures in the pedestrian level during summer months, reforming the microclimate. The outcomes of this study can be used by urban planners and stakeholders to improve environmentally urban areas, mitigate the results of climate change, and create resilient cities.

Green Areas in the City as an Element of Noise Protection

From the dawn of history, humanity created communication routes in order to move efficiently. Trees were planted along the roads connecting towns and villages so that travellers could rest in their shade. The line of trees also played an informative, strategic and sometimes aesthetic role. Currently, a line of tall vegetation along the street provides shade and relief in cities during hot weather. It is also worth emphasizing that greenery reduces stress factors in large cities. One of the stressors in cities is noise. In an urbanized environment, noise is perceived as unpleasant and bothersome. Appropriate planting of greenery in the city can reduce this phenomenon. The article not only analyses the possibilities of reducing noise through appropriate planting of greenery, but also provides guidelines for the correct design of greenery along streets and at crossroads. It is worth emphasizing here that the correct design of greenery in the vicinity of communication arteries is not only a matter of ethics or landscape legibility, but also a matter of safe use of infrastructure. The article also deals with the issue of legal acts relating to the design of urban greenery. The former and current legal acts contain provisions related to the classification of green areas, their protection and shaping. These regulations apply to various fields (construction, spatial planning, environmental protection) and therefore there are discrepancies in the legal interpretation of this term. All these doubts will be clarified.

Sustainable City- Green Walls and Roofs as Ecological Solution

The impact of urban development on the natural environment creates unique challenges for architects and the need to seek a change in design strategies by building green and sustainable buildings. Designing and displaying green elements such as roofs and walls becomes an important element in this sense. Greenery plays a very crucial role in the city space. Green roofs and walls are the missing link between the built environment and the natural environment. They can complement urban greenery. This paper aims to show the possibilities of green roofs and walls solutions in the city, their aspects and impact on the environment and people. The research method is based on the analysis of selected existing objects with greenery solutions and showing their role in creating a sustainable city. The analysis shows that the green roofs and walls offers many environmental, social and economic benefits. They have the ability to improve the microclimate and increase air humidity. Thus, they affect the health and well-being of the city's inhabitants. This technology should be considered a valuable part of the design process to tackle climate change and the energy crisis. Green roofs and facades are passive techniques and provide benefits in reducing the energy requirements of buildings, among other things, but also play a role in shaping a better visual aspect of the city. In the 21st century, people are slowly beginning to realize the advantages of green architecture, which is considered a new perspective also for the urban heat island problem. Thus, the living roofs and walls are of major importance as part of a sustainable strategy for the urban environment. Sustainable cities will exist when society makes an informed choice to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle. The green roofs and walls these are the solution for the future, for better quality of life.

Appropriate Site Development in the Application of the Green Building Concept: An Evaluation of the Planning of Gianyar Public Market

<p class="Abstract"><em>Appropriate Site Development is one of the Greenship criteria for maintaining or expanding urban greenery in order to improve microclimate quality, decrease CO2 and other pollutants, avoid soil erosion, reduce drainage system loads, and keep the balance between clean water and groundwater systems. </em><em>The GREENSHIP concept is a solution to the decline of the green spaces of Gianyar regency, which has been due to the construction of hotels and villas for tourism</em><em>. The Government of Gianyar Regency in Bali Province is committed to applying the concept by planning Gianyar Public Market as the first public facility that uses the idea. This study evaluated whether the application of the Green Building concept, particularly the one in the category of Appropriate Site Development, will be beneficial for the users and the surrounding environment. The evaluation used mixed-methods, which incorporated a case study approach</em><em>.</em><em> </em><em>Two key persons were interviewed. The collected interview data combined with the secondary data were processed with the GREENSHIP rating tools</em><em>. Results of the evaluation show that, in the category of Appropriate Site Development, the planning of Gianyar Public Market obtains 41.18% points. It means that the planning has not yet adequately fulfilled the criteria. Therefore, some efforts and improvements need to be taken and made to fulfill the criteria of the categories in which the planning has not yet obtained maximum points. One of such categories is technology application.</em><em></em></p>