In the face of growing urbanization, conflicts between human activities and the natural environment have resulted in increasingly evident problems, such as ecological degradation, excessive resource depletion, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. These issues pose a growing threat to the achievement of global sustainable development goals. This study is part of a larger study to create a liveable and sustainable urban environment. It aims to develop an urban ecosystem model for promoting harmony with nature by analyzing the latest literature research from 2019 to 2023 using the Systematic Literature Review method. This paper elucidates the newest research developments in urban design, urban ecosystems, and the pursuit of enhanced synergy harmonious humans with nature. Subsequently, from the cross-analysis method it presents a synthesized model proposing a harmonious human-nature ecosystem for urban design. This model advocates the cultivation of human natural identity, providing a framework to adapt, modify, and preserve the urban environment in harmony with nature. Such an approach is expected to enhance urban vitality, which is harmonious between humans and nature while maintaining ecological functions and biodiversity and ensuring efficiency, equity, socio-cultural, and aesthetic values. This study contributes to identifying, understanding, and resolving ecological imbalances arising from urbanization. The results are expected to benefit authorities in maintaining a healthy standard of living in rapidly urbanizing areas. Future research will combine methods such as field investigations and design practices to further refine this urban design proposal, providing support and guidance for a more comprehensive sustainable urban environmental development.

HRMARS is well established journal publisher based in Pakistan. It is publishing prominent journals in social sciences since 2011.

In urban areas, humans' thermal comfort is a crucial concern related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Living wall system (LWS) can be used as a climate mitigation measure to improve temperature at an outdoor building. Studies on LWS' thermal performance of plant species are still scarce, especially for tropical countries. As such, this study aimed to investigate the cooling potential of vegetation with specific plant characteristics. An experimental study of the LWS was undertaken in the industrial city of Pasir Gudang, Malaysia. Four plant species, Philodendron burle-marxii, Phyllanthus cochinchinensis, Nephrolepis exaltata and Cordyline fructicosa 'Miniature', were evaluated in 4-metre (width) x 1-metre (height) of LWS. The study was carried out continuously for three months, from January until March 2019. The data were then analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistic 24. The findings revealed that Philodendron burle-marxii demonstrated the best cooling capacity among the tested plants as it caused its surrounding temperature to be 2.85 oC during the daytime. It was shown that the broader leaves and higher leaf area index value of the species gave a good response to air temperature reduction in the outdoor environment. Meanwhile, Phyllanthus cochinchinensis was the most efficient species as it obtained the highest reduction of surface temperature with an average of 6.17 oC. This study also confirmed that dense branching and multi-stemmed plants influence the lowering of surface temperature with a smaller leaf and higher leaf area index value. In brief, the combination of a higher leaf area index with several plant morphology is recommended for temperature reduction through the different abilities of plant species.

The current research provides a comparative overview of Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS) investigations in China and Malaysia covering the time period of 2010 to 2024. The PRISMA framework was applied for the analysis of 61 empirical studies 45 from China and 16 from Malaysia. Both countries aim at sustainability but emphasize different aspects in their research, which is impacted by climate, socio-economic factors, and policy frameworks. Chinese research, which is backed by a government initiative, points at environmental impacts like thermal regulation, air quality, and carbon reduction. Malaysian research, though limited, emphasizes passive cooling, thermal comfort, and cost-effectiveness in a tropical climate. The Chinese research is mostly in the field of environmental sciences with 28.9% of the total while Malaysia has a more even representation of environmental, architectural, and interdisciplinary fields (each 18.8%). In terms of focus, Chinese studies dominate with environmental aspects (51.1%), whereas Malaysian studies share between economic (50.0%) and social benefits (31.2%). The results indicate that climate and governance are factors that determine VGS research direction and application. China has managed to integrate urban areas on a large scale, whereas Malaysia still struggles with policy and maintenance issues. The impact of this study is that it sets the stage for cross-country learning in order to promote the adoption of sustainable urban development.

Outdoor open spaces are essential for daily activities in ageing rural environments, yet the thermal effectiveness of vegetation under varying structural configurations remains unclear. Most existing Outdoor Thermal Comfort studies focus on dense urban canyons; the present study addresses this gap by examining a complexity threshold in vegetation cooling under high-SVF rural conditions and the radiation–ventilation trade-off that underlies it. An ENVI-met model was calibrated using field data from a typical village on the North China Plain and 17 vegetation scenarios were simulated. The findings reveal a non-linear relationship between vegetation complexity and cooling efficiency. A threshold of complexity was observed: the cooling performance declined with an increase in stratification from a double-layer (Scenario 12) to a triple-layer (Scenario 14) structure, with the change in mean radiant temperature (∆T_mrt) dropping from 23.16 °C to 21.10 °C. This is due to a radiation–ventilation trade-off, in which denser vegetation increases shading but reduces near-surface ventilation. Dense arrangements exhibit a heat trap effect, with the long-wave radiation flux changing from a cooling (−3.42 K/h) to a heating (+2.11 K/h) state. The results show a threshold effect in vegetation cooling and that thermal comfort is not necessarily enhanced by increased complexity. A shaded-canopy and permeable-understory structure is found to be optimal. The findings inform vegetation design in climate-adaptive rural settings.

Ecotourism-oriented homestays are a significant driving force for rural revitalization. The landscape is instrumental in distinguishing homestays from one another and enhancing their allure, contributing to cultural heritage and sustainable economic development. However, the current homestay development landscape is marred by several challenges, including a lack of diversity in landscapes, a disconnect from local cultural roots, overdevelopment, ecological protection imbalances, a dearth of interactive experiences, and unregulated service standards. This study uses six representative cases in Zhejiang Province, China, integrating publicly accessible government environmental performance data, tourist review texts sourced from online travel platforms, and insights gleaned from semi-structured expert interviews. A multi-dimensional evaluation framework is established based on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. Quantitative text semantic analysis techniques were applied to parse the review texts, subsequently utilizing statistical methods to ascertain the relative importance of dimensions and indicators and explore their relationships. A significant correlation was observed between the prevalence of ecologically favorable language in user reviews and official environmental assessment scores. The frequency of culturally specific references in guest reviews exhibited a statistically significant positive correlation with tourist ratings. Drawing upon the preceding analysis, the study formulates landscape design guidelines that emphasize green technology, cultural empowerment, and social identity.