Recently published green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and ecosystem disservices (ED) literature have focused primarily on the supply of urban regulating and cultural ecosystem services (ES). Other literature on urban and peri-urban agriculture has mostly studied the role of localized, intensive agricultural practices in providing food to inhabitants. The aim of this review is to raise awareness and stress the knowledge gap on the importance of urban provisioning ES, particularly when implementing an edible green infrastructure (EGI) approach as it can offer improved resilience and quality of life in cities. We compiled and systematically analyzed studies on urban ES and ED related to a number of EGI typologies. Our systematic review of the relevant literature via an EGI framework, identified more than 80 peer-reviewed publications that focused on ES and food production in urban areas. An EGI approach can contribute socially, economically, and environmentally to urban sustainability and food security. However, such benefits must be weighed against ED trade-offs, including: potential health risks caused by human exposure to heavy metals and organic chemical contaminants often present in urban surroundings. We conclude with recommendations and guidelines for incorporating EGI into urban planning and design, and discuss novel areas for future research. 1. NBS is an approach that improves upon the livability and resilience of cities in retrospect to climate change. Although these concepts are apparently used interchangeably, below we refer to urban GI as hybrid infrastructure of green and built systems (e.g. urban forests, wetlands, parks, green roofs, and walls that together can contribute to ecosystem resilience) and human benefits through their ecological processes or ES (Demuzere et al., 2014; Russo et al., 2016). These benefits or ES are also referred to as NBS when GI is incorporated into urban management, planning, design, and sociopolitical practices and policies for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Indeed, urban GI has been found to contribute positively to outdoor and indoor environments (Russo et al., 2016; Wang et al., 2014), while providing many relevant ES − including important health benefits (Coutts and Hahn, 2015). As such, GI delivers measurable ES and benefits that are fundamental to the concept of a sustainable city (Ahern et al., 2014). Urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry (UPAF), on the other hand have been studied and can be considered a set of experiences and practices for implementing the GI approach in and around cities (Eigenbrod and Gruda, 2015; Escobedo et al., 2011). UPAF systems focus on agro-forestry production and agro-ecological practices (e.g. production of vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, crops, aromatic and medicinal herbs, and ornamental plants) as well as the raising of animals (e.g. livestock and aquaculture) in and around urban areas (FAO, 2016). Whereas GI, as stated earlier, is closely related to ES and human wellbeing, with particular focus on regu...

The modern compact city is identified as a high-density and mixed-use pattern. Its features are believed to contribute to a form of functional urban design that supports sustainability and, restresses, the importance of ecosystem services. Urban green space (UGS) plays a vital role in the design and impact on how compact cities have developed and triggered a scientific discord on the amount of greenery individuals require and to what extent contemporary approaches address the question. Research points to at least 9 m2 of green space per individual with an ideal UGS value of 50 m2 per capita. An examination on the perception, use, quality, accessibility and health risks of urban green and blue spaces is explored, alongside the availability of novel UGS and greenery-related approaches that investigate compact city design and planning for health and wellbeing. The amount of ‘green’ and relating UGS availability in cities indicates vital knowledge modern compact cities must consider.

Recent climate change, environmental design, and ecological conservation policies require new and existing urban developments to mitigate and offset carbon dioxide emissions and for cities to become carbon neutral. Some North American models and tools are available and can be used to quantify the carbon offset function of urban trees. But, little information on urban tree carbon storage and sequestration exists from the European Southern Alps. Also, the use of these North American models in Europe has never been assessed. This study developed a protocol to quantify aboveground carbon (C) storage and sequestration using a subsample of urban trees in Bolzano, Italy, and assessed two existing and available C estimation models. Carbon storage and sequestration were estimated using city-specific dendrometrics and allometric biomass equations primarily from Europe and two other United States models; the UFORE (Urban Forest Effects Model) and the CUFR Tree Carbon Calculator (CTCC). The UFORE model carbon storage estimates were the lowest while the CUFR Tree Carbon Calculator (CTCC) C sequestration estimates were the highest. Results from this study can be used to plan, design, and manage urban forests in northern Italy to maximize C offset potential, provide ecosystem services, and for developing carbon neutral policies. Findings can also be used to predict greenhouse gas emissions from tree maintenance operations as well as estimating green waste yield from landscape maintenance activities and its use as biofuel and compost. Managers need to be aware that available models and methods can produce statistically different C storage and sequestration estimates.Keywords: i-Tree Eco; growth rates; allometric equations; ecosystem services; CTCC model Introduction Climate change is one of the most important and pressing environmental, economic, and security issues our world faces today (Barnett 2003;IPCC 2007;Karagiannis & Soldatos 2010). Urban areas are steadily growing throughout the world (Grimm et al. 2008) and by 2030 it is expected that 60% of the world's population will be living in cities (Rydin et al. 2012). Thus, as urban environments become more important as living space for humans, they are an increasing source of carbon emissions.Several studies in North America, China, and Australia (Brack 2002;Zhao et al. 2010;Dobbs et al. 2011;Martin et al. 2012;Roy et al. 2012), and more recently in the United Kingdom and Germany (Davies et al. 2011;Strohbach & Haase 2012;Strohbach et al. 2012), have shown that trees in urban environments remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through growth and photosynthesis, and store excess carbon as biomass in roots, stems, and branches. Indirectly, urban trees also reduce building energy used for cooling through their shade and climate amelioration effects, thereby reducing CO 2 emissions from decreased energy production (Akbari et al. 2001).The estimation of tree carbon sequestration depends on species types and their mortality and growth characteristics as well as their overall con...

Urban forest ecosystems confer multiple ecosystem services. There is therefore a need to quantify ecological characteristics in terms of community structure and composition so that benefits can be better understood in ecosystem service models. Efficient sampling and monitoring methods are crucial in this process. Full tree inventories are scarce due to time and financial constraints, thus a variety of sampling methods exist. Modern vegetation surveys increasingly use a stratified‐random plot‐based sampling to reduce the bias associated with convenience sampling, even though the latter can save time and increase species richness scores. The urban landscape, with a high degree of conspecific clustering and high species diversity, provides a unique biogeographical case for comparing these two methodological approaches. We use two spatially extensive convenience samples of the urban forest of Meran (Italy), and compare the community structure, tree characteristics and ecosystem service provision with 200 random circular plots. The convenience sampling resulted in a higher species diversity, incorporating more rare species. This is a result of covering more area per unit sampling time. Pseudorandom subplots were compared to the random plots revealing similar Shannon diversity and sampling comparability indices. Measured tree variables (diameter at breast height, height, tree‐crown width, height to crown base) were similar between the two methods, as were ecosystem service model outputs. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that convenience sampling may be a time and money saving alternative to random sampling as long as stratification by land‐use type is incorporated into the design. The higher species richness can potentially improve the accuracy of urban ecological models, which rely on species‐specific functional traits.

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Different organic promoters have been successfully employed in asymmetric oxidations with hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen as environmentally benign oxidants. In this manuscript, we illustrate developments achieved in this area to access chiral epoxides, sulfoxides, gamma-lactones, alfa-hydroxylated carbonyl compounds, and derivatives thereof

The main objective of this essay is to illustrate the state-of-the-art on ‘mental health-sensitive’ open space design in the built environment. Urban Green Blue Infrastructure can contribute to urbanites’ mental health and wellbeing as well as healthy aging, while providing co-benefits balancing the negative impacts of climate change, through the provision of integrated ecosystem services. There are a number of ways that exposure to and affiliation with Nature have shown to support mental health, but we are still missing the necessary evidence of the actual benefits achieved, as well as the key performance indicators and metrics to monitor and adapt our open space to the growing urban challenges. After introducing the key concepts of degenerative mental disorders as they are growing in the urban environment, and the emerging green blue infrastructure design approach, the authors present international case studies describing how evidence-based design and Nature-based Solutions have been found to be beneficial, especially to those diagnosed with mental disorders. Subsequently, in a comparative critical analysis, the authors look closer at a number of design solutions capable, at different scales, to support healthy aging through exposure to, and affiliation with, biodiversity.

An efficient and convenient highly enantioselective\ud Michael addition of malononitrile to\ud enones has been developed by using quinine as the\ud organocatalyst. The adducts were isolated in excellent\ud yield and high asymmetric induction (up to\ud 95% ee). An easy route to difficultly accessible\ud ester derivatives has been also disclosed