Mental disorders affect many different groups around the world, and disadvantaged groups are often more severely affected. Neighbourhood green spaces (GS) can improve mental health, especially in disadvantaged groups. Many countries address social inequality and inequity through GS interventions. However, current evidence shows inconsistencies, which may result from the study site, research design, socio-demographically diverse samples, inclusivity considerations, and the different metrics used to quantify GS exposure and mental health benefits. Few conceptual models explain how neighbourhood greenery can act as a structural intervention. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method and retrieved 5559 documents from eight databases to examine whether neighbourhood GS can modify mental health associations in disadvantaged groups. We found that neighbourhood GS had substantial protective effects on the mental health of disadvantaged groups. However, disadvantaged people are more influenced by GS quality than by other GS exposures, such as GS usage, distance, and accessibility. Improvements in subjective well-being were most pronounced in terms of mental health outcomes. Mechanistically, neighbourhood GS improves mental health mainly through increased social cohesion and, green visibility, and young people receive further benefits from physical activity (PA). These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of the associations and mechanisms between neighbourhood GS and the mental health of disadvantaged groups, addressing health equities that are induced by the unfair distribution of GS, and thus promoting health-oriented environmental planning and policies.

The quantity and quality of green space (GS) exposure play an important role in urban residents’ physical and psychological health. However, the current framework for assessing GS quality is primarily based on 2-D remote sensing data and 2.5-D street-view images. Few studies have comprehensively evaluated residential community GSs from an overall 3-D perspective. This study proposes a novel systematic framework for evaluating the quantity and quality of residential GSs based on the generation of a high-resolution 3-D point cloud using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP). Nine indices were proposed: green volume ratio, floor green volume index, green groups diversity index, vegetation diversity index, greenspace fragmentation, average vegetation colour distance, vegetation colour diversity, activity areas ratio, and green cohesion index of activity site. These metrics were calculated using the classified point clouds from four typical Chinese residential communities with different residential greenery types and population densities. The results showed that our method could quantitatively identify the differences in residential GS exposure within urban residential communities. For example, a residential community with a large plant distribution and rich greenery variations had higher greenspace volume ratio and vegetation diversity index values. Our findings suggest that this novel framework, employing cost-effective UAV-DAP, can clearly describe different GS attributes and characteristics, aiding decision-makers and urban planners in comprehensively implementing GS interventions to improve the residents’ quality of life.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that primarily develops during childhood. Residential greenness has been reported to be associated with AD onset. However, findings are inconsistent and may not apply to Japanese settings because vegetation and residential environments vary regionally. Therefore, this study aimed to examine early‐life exposure to residential greenness and subsequent AD development in Japanese children. Methods: We analyzed data from 14,932 children in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three‐Generation Cohort Study. The exposure was residential greenness during the first 6 months of life, quantified using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) within 250‐, 500‐, and 1000‐m buffers around each birth postal code and categorized into tertiles (low [reference], moderate, high). The outcome was AD incidence between 6 months and 5 years of age, assessed via maternal reporting. Adjusted risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using modified Poisson regression. Analyses were stratified by urbanization levels, child's sex, and parental history of allergic diseases. Results: A significant protective association was observed among children in the high NDVI tertile within the 250‐m buffer (adjusted RR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67–0.95), whereas the moderate tertile was not significant (adjusted RR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.83–1.06). A similar pattern was observed at 500 m. Stratification showed similar associations across urbanization levels, which were stronger in boys and observed only among children without parental allergic history. Conclusion: Early‐life exposure to residential greenness was associated with a decreased risk of AD in Japanese children.

The rapid pace of urbanization and the emergence of social challenges, including an aging population and increased labor costs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, have underscored the urgency to explore smart city solutions. Within these technologically advanced urban environments, zoos have assumed a pivotal role that extends beyond their recreational functions. They face labor cost challenges and ecological considerations while actively contributing to wildlife conservation, environmental education, and scientific research. Zoos foster a connection with nature, promote biodiversity awareness, and offer a valuable space for citizens, thereby directly supporting the pillars of sustainability, public engagement, and technological innovation in smart cities. This study employs a quantitative analysis to assess the alignment between smart projects and the distinctive characteristics of Kyoto Zoo. Through questionnaires, we collected feedback on performance and importance, and subsequently employed the analytic hierarchy process and the fuzzy integrated evaluation method to obtain quantitative results. The findings reveal the high level of intelligence exhibited by Kyoto Zoo, and the analysis provides insightful guidance that can be applied to other urban facilities. At the same time, we compared Kyoto Zoo with Ueno Zoo to see the difference in intellectualization achievements in different contexts in terms of data and systems.