Urbanization has significantly impacted the environment and urban life, with urban green spaces playing a crucial role in enhancing sustainability and publ

Urbanization in developing countries is rapidly increasing, with populations projected to reach 5.5 billion by 2050. This growth presents challenges, such as land resource pressure, environmental degradation, unsustainable transportation, and disorderly urban land development. Transit-oriented development (TOD) and sustainable urban transit systems such as the Delhi Metro are crucial for addressing urban design, economic competitiveness, and quality of life by improving accessibility and reducing private vehicle reliance. This study investigated changes in land use and land cover (LULC) in buffer zones around the Delhi Metro lines using satellite imagery from 1997, 2006, 2011, and 2019. The findings revealed significant shifts from open land and vegetation to built-up areas, driven by increased real estate activity and property values near metro stations. This study highlights the importance of integrating transportation infrastructure with urban planning for sustainable development, utilizing green infrastructure to mitigate environmental impacts, and implementing water-sensitive urban designs and TOD strategies to improve resilience.

Purpose: The presence of green spaces plays a vital role in promoting urban sustainability. Urban green parks (UGPs) help create sustainable cities while providing fundamental ecological functions. However, rapid urbanization has destroyed crucial green areas in Ranchi City, endangering inhabitants’ health. This study aims to locate current UGPs and predict future UGP sites in Ranchi City, Jharkhand. Design/methodology/approach: It uses geographic information system (GIS) and analytical hierarchical process (AHP) to evaluate potential UGP sites. It involves the active participation of urban communities to ensure that the UGPs are designed to meet dweller’s needs. The site suitability assessment is based on several parameters, including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land use and land cover (LULC), population distribution, PM 2.5 levels and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The integration of these factors enables an evaluation of potential UGP’s sites. Findings: The findings of this research reveal that 54.39% of the evaluated areas are unsuitable, 15.55% are less suitable, 12.76% are moderately suitable, 11.52% are highly suitable and 5.78% are very highly suitable for UGPs site selection. These results emphasize that the middle and outer regions of Ranchi City are the most favorable locations for establishing UGPs. The NDVI is the most important element in UGP site appropriateness, followed by LULC, population distribution, PM 2.5 levels and the UHI effect. Originality/value: This study improves the process of integrating AHP and GIS, and UGPs site selection maps help urban planners and decision-makers make better choices for Ranchi City’s sustainability and greenness.

The East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW), a Ramsar site, face challenges due to rapid urbanization, fragmented governance, and inadequate policy enforcement. This study examines the legal and policy frameworks governing EKW, identifying gaps between formulation and implementation, assessing community participation, and recommending governance reforms. A qualitative approach, involving a review of regulations, field surveys capturing local narratives, document analysis, and thematic coding, was used. The findings revealed enforcement gaps, intergovernmental collaboration issues, regulatory inconsistencies, and insufficient community involvement to be barriers to effective conservation. Survey respondents highlighted the disconnect between policy objectives and ground realities, emphasizing the need for stricter enforcement, transparent governance, and a balanced approach to urban development. It suggests that local conservation efforts should be aligned with international frameworks, such as the Ramsar Convention and UN Sustainable Development Goals, to improve wetland resilience. This suggests that the EKW can serve as a blueprint for sustainable urban wetland management, balancing development, and conservation.