Urban green infrastructure (UGI) has a key role in improving human and environmental health in cities and contributes to several services related to climate adaptation. Accurate localization and quantification of pervious surfaces and canopy cover are envisaged to implement UGI, address sustainable spatial planning, and include adaptation and mitigation strategies in urban planning practices. This study aims to propose a simple and replicable process to map pervious surfaces and canopy cover and to investigate the reliability and the potential planning uses of UGI maps. The proposed method combines the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), extracted from high-resolution airborne imagery (0.20 m), with digital elevation models to map pervious surfaces and canopy cover. The approach is tested in the Municipality of Trento, Italy, and, according to a random sampling validation, has an accuracy exceeding 80%. The paper provides a detailed map of green spaces in the urban areas, describing quantity and distribution, and proposes a synthesis map expressed as a block-level degree of pervious surfaces and canopy cover to drive urban transformations. The proposed approach constitutes a useful tool to geovisualize critical areas and to compare levels of pervious surfaces and canopy cover in the municipal area. Acknowledging the role of green areas in the urban environment, the paper examines the potential applications of the maps in the policy cycle, such as land use management and monitoring, and in climate-related practices, and discusses their integration into the current planning tools to shift towards performative rather than prescriptive planning.

The increasing adoption of solar power plants requires the consideration of different aspects involved in the transformation of landscape. In this view, recent studies encourage public engagement and landscape integration strategies in the decision-making process to ensure an accepted and inclusive energy transition. However, there is limited knowledge on how to include landscape considerations in the planning processes, specifically on public perception and values. This work aims to assess five licensed solar farms in the region of Central Macedonia (Greece) based on the opinion of the inhabitants. The paper presents the results of an online and onsite questionnaire administered in different villages around the study area in October 2022. The survey utilized the potential benefits and impacts, as well as siting criteria and spatial configuration strategies, taken from literature to describe public perception and preferences. The methodology consists of three phases: investigation of public perception on solar farms; operationalization of the results to make them spatially explicit; overall suitability of the areas and mitigation strategies. The results illustrate the prioritization of the perceived impacts and benefits of photovoltaic installations and highlight the different levels of suitability of the areas and possible mitigation measures. The proposed approach is complementary to the planning processes taking into account societal considerations.

The urban and climate transformations that cities will face in the coming years to address the climate crisis may allow for experimentation with innovative circular and climate-sensitive strategies. These solutions are currently little considered in regeneration practices and not included in urban planning tools. This study presents the preliminary results of a research project supporting the Municipality of Trento, Italy, for urban transformations and the regeneration of the built environment. The outcomes are advanced tools for planners and policymakers focusing on promoting well-being and health in the context of climate change, with a specific focus on summer outdoor thermal comfort. The tools are derived from both quantitative and qualitative approaches, including multiscale microclimate modelling and investigation of the citizens’ spatial and thermal perception. In particular, the variation in thermal comfort predictors such as air temperature, mean radiant temperature and physiological equivalent temperature are assessed in the valley floor of Trento. The indices are calculated across four neighbourhoods of the city, characterised by different Local Climate Zones features (LCZ 2, LCZ 5, LCZ 6 and LCZ 8), coupling the use of Urban Weather Generator (UWG) and ENVI-met software tools. The simulations allow a comparison between the areas for a 24-hour timespan during a typical hot summer day. In addition, a survey was shared with residents in summer 2024 to create a collaborative map of comfortable and uncomfortable places in the city on typical summer days. Starting from the assessment of microclimate in different neighbourhoods and the subjective perceptions of the citizens, the research aims to support policymakers with (in)formative tools that foster evidence-based decision-making processes. The findings are strongly practice-oriented and encourage greater consideration of outdoor health and comfort issues in urban design, including population involvement to ensure an inclusive transition.