This study investigates the variability of C-n(2) data across different spatial and temporal scales using data from a large-aperture scintillometer (LAS) installed on a 1 ha green roof, known as the Blue Green Wave, in Ecole nationale des ponts chauss & eacute;es, near Paris. Data collected at 10-min intervals during December 2019 and January 2020 were analysed using structure function and universal multifractal (UM) models. The analysis revealed strong scaling behaviour from 10 min to 2 h, with UM parameters estimated as C-1=0.1 for the mean intermittency codimension, alpha=1.8 for the multifractality index and approximately 0.44 for the non-conservative parameter H, which deviates from classical turbulence theories. Our results provide a deeper understanding of the variability in C-n(2) and offer insights into scaling properties relevant to turbulence studies in urban green roof environments.

With the growing interest in utilizing Blue-green solutions to mitigate the negative impact of urbanization and climate change, and further enhance human health, it becomes essential to comprehensively understand the extent to which BGS influence human well-being through integrating various indicators. Building upon concepts within the existing framework of the Nature-Based solutions to health theory, this study aims to investigate the changes in heart rate among park users and establish connections between these changes and the benefits brought about by urban green spaces, as well as the potential of integrating wearables to quantify the impact of BGS on human health. The research was conducted at the demo site of the HEART project, the Pedion of Areos Park in Athens. The heart rate data of two participants engaged in walking activities within the park were recorded through wearable devices. By analyzing the associations between factors like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), air pollutants, temperature with heart rate, as well as the complex interplay of various environmental indicators, this study reveals the positive impact of BGS on human health. The outcomes of quantitative statistical analysis indicate that temperature significantly influences heart rate, while the impact of air pollutants on heart rate is not clearly revealed. The result from spatial analysis further confirms a significant correlation between the increase in NDVI and the reduction in Land Surface Temperature (LST), particularly during the spring season. These research findings demonstrate that heart rate can serve as an effective health indicator to quantify the benefits of BGS. While the generalizability of study results might have limitations, it offers insights into the influence of urban green spaces on human health. In the future, with larger sample sizes, diversified datasets such as GeoHealth data with health status, age, and gender, and long-term observations, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of these positive impacts, thus providing stronger scientific foundations for urban planning and design.

The cooling efficacy of green roofs in mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect within dense cities is largely attributed to evapotranspiration (ET) processes. Hence, accurate understanding and quantification of ET are pivotal for optimizing this cooling effect. ET estimation can be achieved either directly (weighing lysimeters) or indirectly (e.g., Penman-Monteith equation). Micro-meteorological approaches have been developed in recent years. Among which scintillometer can evaluate ET by its measurement parameter which corresponds to the fluctuations of air refractive index ) in combination with surface energy balance and Monin-Obukhov similarity theory. Hence, improvement in data as well as understanding of its variability across wide range of space-time scale would result in better ET estimation and ultimately optimization. Yet it is often overlooked, and little research has focused on it and notably its variability.This study explores the ET estimation on a wavy and vegetated green roof covering an area of 1 ha, known as the Blue Green Wave, which is located in Ecole des Ponts Paristech campus. Data from a large aperture scintillometer with 10-minute timestep during December 2019 and January 2020 is adopted. data variability across scales was analysed with the help of structure function and Universal Multifractal model (UM). The UM framework, widely employed for characterizing and simulating geophysical fields extremely variable across wide range of space-time scales, relies on two parameters with physical interpretation: the mean intermittency codimension and multifractality index (, indicates monofractal; , indicates log-normal model.) An additional one, which is needed for non-conservative fields such as ET is the non-conservativeness parameter H.Both structure function and UM approaches reveal good scaling behaviour on scales ranging from 10 min to 2h, confirming the relevance of the framework and demonstrating the potential for upscaling and downscaling. UM analysis conducted through Trace Moment and Double Trace Moment methods, provided similar values for UM parameters around H is approximately 0.44 in our case, which deviates from traditional scaling laws due to the intricate composition of the fluxes and requires further investigations. Indeed is influenced by temperature, humidity, air pressure and wind speed. To interpret properly structure function analysis from UM analysis, it is necessary to introduce a parameter denoted a. It corresponds to the power to which the assumed conservative underlying field should be raised before fractional integration to account for non-conservativeness to retrieve the studied field. Here, we observed that a is around 0.76 to ensure the highest consistency of the outcome from both the structure function and UM analyses. A better understanding of the underlying complexity and variability of Cn2 is achieved by our analysis. This, in turn, improves our understanding of the underlying physical processes generating variability and temporal-spatial dynamics in ET, which paves the way for future applications.

Background: This paper presents the synthesis of author's research group results, starting with UNESCO endorsed IUWM (Integrated Urban Water Management) project, continuing with EU Climate_KIC project: Blue Green Dream (BGS/BGD) and 2 ongoing EU projects: euPOLIS and HEART, in which the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, BATUT and KBC Dr Dragiša Mišović play significant role as medical partners. Methods and Objectives: The key hypothesis of this research is that properly planned, maintained and managed urban water systems, interacting with urban green infrastructure (GI) can create locally improved environmental conditions which have positive impacts on human health and wellbeing and that their long-term impact can be quantified if supported by proper selection of sensors and monitoring system, integrated with advanced data acquisition, processing and management. These systems need to be supported by all local stakeholders, their awareness raising, combined with clinical and non-clinical data supported by advanced information and knowledge creation and management. The paper demonstrates that, the above methodology can predict and quantify mitigation of negative impact of climate changes and sets up the implementation framework of the projects' paradigm at global scale. The long-term deliverable is a framework for extrapolation of the projects' methodology to the other parts of the demo sites (Athens, Belgrade, Gladsaxe, Łodz, Århus), in the follower cities (Bogota, Limassol, Palermo, Shanghai and Trebinje) and scaling-up to any other city on the planet Earth. Results: Preliminary results achieved in the ongoing projects will be presented and will be open for discussion. Conclusions: The results achieved in these ongoing projects will be open for further inputs and will serve as a basis for developing implementation strategies at both regional and global scale.

With the continuous maturation of technology and the deepening of human-centered design philosophy, eye tracking technology has gradually been applied in research studies for the optimization of flight deck design in commercial aviation. While these studies have focused solely on Pilot Flying (PF), without considering the visual attention distribution of Pilot Monitoring (PM). The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the visual attention distribution of PF and PM during different flight phases, providing more comprehensive guidance and optimization suggestion to the flight deck design in commercial aviation. This study was conducted in the A320 full-motion flight simulator, with eye tracking technology recording eye movements of PF and PM in the same flight crew simultaneously. The result showed significant differences in three eye movement metrics between PF and PM, not only throughout the whole common manual circuit but also within specific flight phases. Additionally, the results indicated that in certain flight phases, PF and PM exhibited statistically significant correlations in certain eye movement metrics for specific areas of the flight deck. However, in most other instances, no statistically significant correlations were observed between the eye movement metrics of PF and PM. Therefore, the future design of flight decks may benefit from considering differentiation between PF and PM sides in certain flight phases or areas. Additionally, it can be beneficial to make dynamic adjustments to the current flight deck display and control interface while maintaining the existing layout design.

The cooling impact of green roofs is highlighted in the context of urbanisation and urban heat island (UHI) effect. And it is usually described and quantified by evapotranspiration (ET) processes. Understanding ET process is the key to optimize cooling effect. ET estimation can be achieved either directly (weighing lysimeters) or indirectly (e.g., Penman-Monteith equation). Micro-meteorological approaches have been developed in recent years. Among which scintillometer can evaluate ET by its measurement parameter Cn2 (which corresponds to the fluctuations of air refractive index n ) in combination with surface energy balance (SEB) and Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (MOST) . Hence, Cn2 improvement in Cn2 data would result in better ET estimation. But it is often overlooked and very little research has focused on it. In this project, the research area lies on the top of the Carnot and Bienvenüe buildings in Ecole des Ponts Paristech. Covering an area of ​​1 ha, it is a wavy and vegetated large green roof, known as the Blue Green Wave (BGW). Data from a large aperture scintillometer (LAS) with 10-minute time step during December 2019 and January 2020 on BGW is used in this study. Three estimates of Cn2(Cn2_UCn2, Cn2_PUCn2 and Cn2_Var) were analysed with structure function and universal multifractal model (UM). Such framework has been widely use to characterize geophysical fields extremely variable across wide range of space-time scales. There are two relevant parameters in an UM model, the mean codimension of intermittency C1≥0and multifractality index 0≤α≤2. α=0, indicates monofractal; α=2, indicates log-normal model. Data in UM framework is analysed by Trace Moment (TM) method and Double Trace Moment (DTM) method. All of estimates demonstrated scale invariance, which could be used for upscaling and downscaling. Cn2_Var performed well even during measurement malfunction, but UM analysis showed it was contradictory to the hypothesis of lognormality. It implies the way it calculates Cn2_Var need some revisions and an assessment of the scintillometer could be achieved by analysing Cn2. This research provides a complete grasp of the properties of Cn2 and sets the stage for its future application in precise ET estimates.

Climate change-related phenomena are putting an enormous strain on cities’ infrastructure, human livelihoods, public health and citizens well-being. This, together with the increase in urban growth and urbanization, results in an expansion of urban hazards - including water scarcity, disease transmission and consequent social issues.To address this complexity in an urban design context we introduce a Systemic Design (SyD) framework for Multifunctional Nature-based Solutions (NBS) to rethink and contribute to the planet’s health and people’s quality of life. The SyD approach focuses on context knowledge creation (environmental, climatic, social…) that includes perspectives from the point of view of multiple stakeholders, maps its key features, and analyses alternatives for exploiting different design options. Exploratory or suitability modelling supports all these steps.The examples here presented are part of the multidisciplinary project euPOLIS focused on climate change adaptation and on enhancement of public health and citizen’s well-being through the implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS). Although diversity of the size and the scale of presented case studies, the systematic baseline analysis have revealed that there are several shared conditions, such as an immediate need for improvement of existing green spaces, mitigation of direct and indirect UHI effect and refinement of maintenance systems.A mapping of the local features, and variety of specific spatial and social conditions in public spaces studied in euPOLIS’s Cities (Belgrade, Gladsaxe, Lodz and Pireas) gives synthetic prospects to better understand the potential effectiveness of Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) solutions (design options) in relation to their wider ecosystem and citizens’ concerns. This leads to a systematic assessment of possible future scenarios of different scales (local, urban, regional…) and allows an examination of possible steps to better define locally specific variables, evaluation and validation of benefits to reduce existing vulnerability, and to improve community’s liveability. The systemic design approach allows to explore the main drivers of urban development, climate change mitigation and urban resilience. In this way, it also supports decisions for further planning stages and anticipates actions for the management of the multifaceted hazards of the entire urban system.

This paper introduces euPOLIS; an EU funded project, which emphasize on the appropriate development of urban ecosystems in a way that enhance Public Health (PH) and Well-Being (WB) without significant Life-Cycle costs. Such an approach has has the potential to regenerate urban ecosystems addressing multiple challenges, such as low environmental quality, fragmentation and low biodiversity in public spaces, water-stressed resources, undervalued use of space in deprived areas resulting in an improved urban livability. The proposed methodology is expected to improve people’s quality of life, providing them with pleasant socializing open areas that stimulate social exchange while monitoring the impact of all those interventions to PH and WB of citizens. The euPOLIS suggested solutions will be demonstrated in 4 European cities: Belgrade, Lodz, Piraeus and Gladsaxe.

Urban industrialization has caused severe land contamination at hundreds of thousands of sites in cities all around the world, posing a serious health risk to millions of people. Many contaminated brownfield sites are being left abandoned due to the high cost of remediation. Traditional physical and chemical remediation technologies also require high energy and resource input, and can result in loss of land functionality and cause secondary pollution. Nature-based solutions (NBS) including phytoremediation and conversion of brownfield sites to public greenspaces, holds much promise in maximizing a sustainable urban renaissance. NBS is an umbrella concept that can be used to capture nature based, cost effective and eco-friendly treatment technologies, as well as redevelopment strategies that are socially inclusive, economically viable, and with good public acceptance. The NBS concept is novel and in urgent need of new research to better understand the pros and cons, and to enhance its practicality. This review article summarizes NBS's main features, key technology choices, case studies, limitations, and future trends for urban contaminated land remediation and brownfield redevelopment.

Green roofs offer the possibility to mitigate multiple environmental issues in an urban environment. A common benefit attributed to green roofs is the temperature reduction through evaporation. This study focuses on evaluating the effect that evaporative cooling has on outdoor air temperatures in an urban environment. An established urban energy balance model was modified to quantify the cooling potential of green roofs and study the scalability of this mitigation strategy. Simulations were performed for different climates and urban geometries, with varying soil moisture content, green roof fraction and urban surface layer thickness. All simulations show a linear relationship between surface layer temperature reduction ΔTs and domain averaged evaporation rates from vegetation mmW, i.e. ΔTs=eW ⋅ mmW, where eW is the evaporative cooling potential with a value of ∼−0.35 Kdaymm−1. This relationship is independent of the method by which water is supplied. We also derive a simple algebraic relation for eW using a Taylor series expansion.

The design of alternative urban water supply interventions for a community located in a low-income country requires detailed and precise knowledge of the nature, frequency and intensity of various characteristic water end-uses in the community. Without the availability of this characteristic water use information, high resolution metering experiments are the usually preferred methods to measure the water use volumes. However, in the developing world, these high resolution experiments are not an available option. Leaving the imprecise household interviewing process of data collection as the only option. This paper presents a novel methodology that improves and expands on the socially collected water uses data, through the use of a stochastic modelling process of the water use volumes to estimate the total monthly water use of the community. The methodology not only improves the estimates of water use volumes but also provides a mathematical modelling description of the household water uses in the community.

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are used to represent the terrain in applications such as, for example, overland flow modelling or viewshed analysis. DEMs generated from digitising contour lines or obtained by LiDAR or satellite data are now widely available. However, in some cases, the area of study is covered by more than one of the available elevation data sets. In these cases the relevant DEMs may need to be merged. The merged DEM must retain the most accurate elevation information available while generating consistent slopes and aspects. In this paper we present a thorough analysis of three conventional grid-based DEM merging methods that are available in commercial GIS software. These methods are evaluated for their applicability in merging DEMs and, based on evaluation results, a method for improving the merging of grid-based DEMs is proposed. DEMs generated by the proposed method, called MBlend, showed significant improvements when compared to DEMs produced by the three conventional methods in terms of elevation, slope and aspect accuracy, ensuring also smooth elevation transitions between the original DEMs. The results produced by the improved method are highly relevant different applications in terrain analysis, e.g., visibility, or spotting irregularities in landforms and for modelling terrain phenomena, such as overland flow.

Urban stormwater models can be semi-distributed (SD) or fully distributed (FD). SD models are based on subcatchment units with various land use types, where rainfall is applied and runoff volumes are estimated and routed. FD models are based on the two dimensional (2D) discretization of the overland surface, which has a finer resolution with each grid-cell representing one land use type, where runoff volumes are estimated and directly routed by the 2D overland flow module. While SD models have been commonly applied in urban stormwater modeling, FD models are generally more detailed and theoretically more realistic. This paper presents a comparison between SD and FD models using two case studies in Coimbra (Portugal) and London (UK). To enable direct comparison between SD and FD setups, a model-building process is proposed and a novel sewer inlet representation is applied. SD and FD modeling results are compared against observed records in sewers and photographic records of flood events. The results suggest that FD models are more sensitive to surface storage parameters and require higher detail of the sewer network representation.

Urban flood modelling plays a key role in assessment of flood risk in urban areas by providing detailed information of the flooding process (e.g. location, depth and velocity of flooding). Accurate modelling results are the basis of reliable flood risk evaluation. In this paper, modelling of a flood event in a densely urbanized area within the city of Glasgow is presented. Modelling is performed using a new three-dimensional (3D) flooding model, which is an unstructured mesh, finite element model that solves the Navier-Stokes equations, and developed based on Fluidity. The terrain data considered comes from a 2 m Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and aerial imagery. The model is validated with flood inundation area and flow features, and sensitivity analyses are conducted to identify the mesh resolution required for accuracy purposes and the effect of the uncertainty in the inflow discharge. Good agreement has been achieved when comparing the results with those published in other 2D shallow water models in ponded areas. However, larger vertical velocity (>0.2 m / s ) and larger differences between the 3D and 2D models can be observed in areas with greater topographic gradients (>3 % ). Finally, performance of the proposed 3D flooding model has been analysed. Through the modelling of a real flooding event this paper helps illustrate the case that 3D modelling techniques are promising to improve accuracy and obtain more detailed information related to urban flooding dynamics, which is useful in urban flood control planning and risk management. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to apply a 3D unstructured mesh finite-element model (FEM model) to a real urban flooding event. It highlights some of the differences between the 3D and 2D urban flood modelling results.

We study fully developed three-dimensional turbulent flow over two-dimensional urban street canyons using the atmospheric LES model DALES. We simulate this case in a neutral environment and develop a steady state case of a heated urban canyon in a convective boundary layer. We find drag and heat transfer coefficients comparable to earlier studies.

This paper describes an extensive field study which has been carried out to validate the application of controlled hydraulic transients (surges) for detecting and locating leaks in water transmission pipelines. A large number of publications and research projects for the last ten years have described and developed a variety of techniques which aim to use controlled transient events for detecting and locating leaks both in transmission pipelines and distribution networks. The developed techniques have been extensively tested using numerical data and experimental data from small scale laboratory facilities. To the best knowledge of the authors, there have been no published studies on the field validation of the application of hydraulic transients for detecting and locating leaks in operational water transmission and distribution systems. The authors have recently completed four full-scale field studies which aim was to assess the practicalities of using controlled transient events for detecting and locating leaks in transmission pipelines. This paper presents the field results from a water transmission pipeline operated by Essex and Suffolk Water as pressure data were collected using a specifically assembled data acquisition system (IC-DAS). IC-DAS allows high-frequency of data acquisition with sampling rates of up to 1000S/s (Samples/second) and perfect time synchronization (less than 50μs). The experiments clearly demonstrated the practical difficulties and limitations of the application of transient events for detecting and locating leaks.

Wild rocket, Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC. (Brassicaceae), is one of the three cultivated rocket species, the demand and production of which have recently increased in Mediterranean countries where irrigation water is scarce. Besides its use as a crop, D. tenuifolia has been observed to flower for a long period and to be attractive to pollinators. In this study we assessed the effect of drought stress and moderate-and severe-deficit irrigation on growth, flower development, and attractiveness to pollinators in D. tenuifolia. The results showed that in greenhouse conditions, potted D. tenuifolia could be without irrigation for 4 days without affecting its growth, flowering, and attractiveness to pollinators. However, lack of irrigation for 8 days or longer significantly reduced the vegetative growth, number of open flowers, total floral area, flower diameter, corolla tube diameter, and corolla tube length of D. tenuifolia. This study shows that regulated-deficit irrigation can improve water use efficiency, and depending on the purpose of growing D. tenuifolia, as a crop or as a beneficial plant to attract pollinators, it can reduce water consumption from 40% to 70% without affecting its vegetative and floral development and without reducing its attractiveness to pollinators.