Spatial evaluation of urban environment quality (UEQ) is a key prerequisite in urban planning and development. The main goal of this study is to present a scenario-based spatial multi-criteria decision-making system for evaluating UEQ. Therefore, stakeholder involvement was conducted and eight environmental criteria and six spatial-functional criteria were identified for five districts of Tehran. The weight of the effective criteria was calculated using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model. Then, the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) model was used to prepare UEQ maps in different scenarios, including very pessimistic, pessimistic, intermediate, optimistic, and very optimistic. Finally, the spatial distribution of the district population in different classes of UEQ was evaluated. Among the spatial-functional and environmental criteria, the sub-criteria of population density and air pollution, respectively, had the greatest impact on UEQ. In very pessimistic, intermediate, optimistic, and very optimistic scenarios, approximately 76.7, 51.8, 36.4, 23.7, and 9.8 km² of the studied area had unsuitable UEQ conditions, respectively. In the very pessimistic scenario, about 37,000 and 1,500,000 people lived in areas with suitable and unsuitable UEQ conditions, respectively. In the very optimistic scenario, the population increased to over 917,000 in areas with suitable UEQ and decreased to 336,000 in those with unsuitable UEQ conditions in terms of both environmental and spatial-functional criteria. The research results showed that a high percentage of the population in the study area live under unsuitable UEQ conditions, which indicates the need for attention to improving the current UEQ conditions. The proposed approach is timely to gain a better understanding of the adverse impact of climate change on human well-being in marginal societies and how climate-resilient urban planning can play a significant role.

This literature review explores the integration of low-carbon lifestyles within urban planning, addressing the urgent need to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in rapidly expanding urban areas. By synthesizing research from various case studies, Scopus database, and theoretical frameworks, the study examines how sustainable practices in energy consumption, transportation, waste management, and resource use can be effectively incorporated into city designs. A bibliometric analysis of nearly 50 articles, with inclusion criteria of methodological rigor, peer-reviewed sources, relevance to scope, language, and timeframe, using advanced tools from Bibliometrix and VOSviewer, reveals trends, research gaps, co-occurrence analysis, and the geographical distribution of scholarly work in this field. Furthermore, the review highlights the significance of urban form, renewable energy adoption, and smart technologies in facilitating low-carbon living, while also identifying key challenges such as socio-economic barriers and the need for coordinated stakeholder efforts. This review makes several key contributions. First, it synthesizes fragmented literature on low-carbon lifestyles and urban planning, bridging gaps between behavioral, infrastructural, and technological dimensions. Second, it highlights critical research gaps, such as the underrepresentation of equity-focused studies and the limited scalability of localized solutions. Third, it provides actionable insights for policymakers, emphasizing the importance of integrating global frameworks like the SDGs with grassroots initiatives. In conclusion, this review aims to contribute to sustainable urban development discourse and offer valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners striving to promote low-carbon lifestyles in cities worldwide.