In Ulaanbaatar, the rapid and unplanned expansion of ger districts has significantly heightened exposure to seasonal environmental hazards. This vulnerability is further compounded by a critical deficiency in climate-resilient public open spaces. This paper presents a mixed-methods research framework and a reproducible approach for the adaptive planning of public spaces in Bilgekh Valley, a peri-urban ger district located in northern Ulaanbaatar. Covering approximately 7,460.17 hectares with a current population of roughly 28,950, the valley serves as a representative case of large-scale, unplanned informal settlement within a harsh, cold-climate urban fringe.

The study integrates GIS analysis with participatory mapping. The spatial-physical analysis is conducted using QGIS, leveraging high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and Meteonorm climatic datasets. By synthesising these data, the research generates surface runoff and flood indicators (including flow accumulation and slope) as well as wind and air stagnation indices to perform a comprehensive vulnerability assessment. The initial phase focuses on land-use balance and environmental evaluation to identify unplanned, underutilised, or misused vacant lots and parcels that currently obstruct the development of community spaces.

Concurrently, community mapping surveys were conducted to document environmental vulnerabilities—such as seasonal flooding, aufeis (groundwater icing), and localised pollution—while identifying potential intervention sites suggested by residents. This community-sourced data is digitised and integrated into the QGIS environment. This conference presentation outlines the methodological framework, preliminary land-use findings, and digitised participatory maps, discussing how these results inform potential interventions for adaptive open spaces. Ultimately, the research seeks to establish a reproducibility approach for planning climate-resilient public spaces in Mongolian ger districts and similar cold-climate informal settlements.

Disabled people are often neglected by the state, policymakers, community and even family, though they should be provided equal opportunities to develop their lives. A PwD (Person with Disabilities) has the right to access any facility in society. Regrettably, they are overlooked in our community, especially in terms of accessibility to infrastructure such as pedestrian pathways, vehicular circulation, public buildings, and other amenities. As a disaster-prone country, Bangladesh frequently experiences natural and anthropogenic disasters. In the event of a disaster, they should be provided with essential facilities to overcome the situation; however, they are not even included in Bangladesh's DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction) policy. In major urban areas like Dhaka, disasters such as fires, earthquakes, waterlogging, and building collapses pose a significant threat to city residents. These events affect PwD much more adversely than non-disabled people, and they pose a significant barrier to the rescue, evacuation, and resettlement of PwD. Precedent research indicates that a disabled person has less priority in DRR because there is no integration between disability and disaster management issues, and there is no proper execution or monitoring of the existing legislation either. The methodology of this research will include these three steps: a) analysis of the existing policy, rules, regulations, and guidelines regarding the accessibility of PwD in different infrastructures.; b) analysing the implementation of those policies and the present condition of PwD accessibility, especially in disaster events; and c) suggesting guidelines to include the issues of PwD in developing an efficient and inclusive disaster management policy in urban areas. By analysing existing policies and good practices that consider disability in DRR, this research will provide firsthand evidence of the crucial role of PwD inclusion in holistic DRR interventions.

Abstract:【Purpose】In light of the frequent occurrence of disasters nowadays, the construction of urban resilience has once again attracted significant attention. As the fundamental living unit of a city, the community is of particular importance in enhancing resilience. Existing studies primarily rely on static assessment results as the basis for implementation and retrofitting, which fails to provide the optimal timing for risk early warnings and precise governance interventions within communities. 【Method】This research employs comparative analysis and inductive-deductive reasoning. From the perspective of resilience assessment and utilizing multi-source data as the methodology, it develops a framework for a dynamic monitoring and real-time assessment model of community resilience based on multi-source big data. 【Result】The model can effectively identify the dynamic changes in community resilience during both normal operations and emergency events. It is capable of pinpointing issues such as inadequate infrastructure capacity and problems arising from the concentration of high-risk populations, thereby validating the model's sensitivity and practicality across spatial and temporal dimensions. 【Conclusion】This framework can serve as an important tool for community renewal, providing a management instrument for enhancing the normalization and intelligence of community resilience.To enhance the quality of life for residents in the future and promote effective planning, efficient management and practical services in the community.

Abstract

Introduction:
Climate change is intensifying compound and cascading hazards, including flooding, extreme heat, and drought, posing systemic risks to interdependent critical urban infrastructure such as transportation, water, and energy networks. Although digital twins (DTs) are increasingly adopted for infrastructure monitoring and smart city management, their application remains largely sector-specific and hazard-isolated. A unified, multi-hazard digital twin framework explicitly designed for climate adaptation planning of interdependent infrastructure systems is still lacking. This study addresses this gap by proposing an integrated framework that moves beyond operational monitoring toward strategic adaptation decision support.

Methods:
This research adopts a two-stage methodology. First, a systematic literature review synthesizes advancements in digital twin architectures, climate risk modeling, and infrastructure interdependency analysis to identify existing research gaps. Second, a novel multi-layered digital twin framework is developed. The proposed architecture integrates (i) multi-hazard climate projection scenarios, (ii) infrastructure interdependency network modeling, (iii) dynamic vulnerability and risk assessment modules, and (iv) an adaptation prioritization engine to support strategic planning. The framework emphasizes interoperability, scalability, and real-time data assimilation.

Results:
The review reveals a critical absence of comprehensive frameworks that simultaneously incorporate multi-hazard modeling and interdependent infrastructure dynamics within a unified digital twin environment. The proposed framework addresses this gap by introducing an integrated architecture that enables cross-sector impact simulation, compound hazard scenario analysis, and risk-informed adaptation prioritization within a single decision-support structure.

Conclusions:
This research advances digital twin applications from operational management toward proactive, multi-hazard climate adaptation planning. The proposed framework establishes a scalable and transferable foundation for future prototype implementation and policy-aligned decision-support systems aimed at strengthening urban infrastructure resilience under deep climate uncertainty.

Urban resilience and adaptation are critical for rapidly expanding peri-urban regions, which face intersecting pressures from land use transformation and climate variability. The proliferation of impervious surfaces, loss of ecological buffers, and mounting anthropogenic emissions collectively undermine adaptive capacity by intensifying heat stress in cities. Advancing resilience requires a shift from conventional grey infrastructure to ecosystem-based strategies that can dynamically respond to environmental stressors.

This research evaluates the contribution of peri-urban wetlands to urban resilience and climate adaptation with special reference to heat stress. Focusing on the rapidly urbanizing landscape of Barasat, West Bengal, India, the analysis investigates the long-term land-use and land-cover (LULC) transitions from 1995 to 2025 and their implications for microclimatic regulation and environmental stability. Multi-temporal satellite data were employed to quantify changes in wetland extent, vegetation cover, and built-up expansion. These LULC dynamics were then correlated with key environmental indicators, including land surface temperature (LST) and air quality parameters.

The analysis reveals a significant decline in wetland and vegetated areas, which corresponds directly with elevated thermal intensity and diminished environmental buffering capacity. This quantifiable degradation signals a marked erosion of the region's urban adaptive capacity. Wetlands function as natural regulators by dissipating heat, retaining stormwater, and improving atmospheric conditions—ecosystem services that are fundamental to mitigating climate extremes. Their degradation, therefore, constitutes not only an ecological loss but also a systemic decline in urban living conditions.

The study concludes by advocating for the strategic positioning of wetlands as adaptive, nature-based infrastructure within urban resilience and adaptation frameworks. Integrating wetland restoration, protection, and continuous environmental monitoring through participatory governance can forge robust climate adaptation pathways. By embedding these ecosystems into Blue–Green Infrastructure networks, rapidly urbanizing cities can transition toward more resilient, climate-responsive, and sustainable development models.

Introduction:
This paper examines the interdependence between urban sustainability and the national defence system in Romania within the framework of integrated strategic planning. The study is grounded in the premise that a sustainable city is inherently a secure city, capable of anticipating and managing complex crises. Urban management is conceptualised as a central pillar in coordinating resilience through the integration of security and defence policies into spatial planning instruments, in accordance with the objectives established by the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

Methodology:
The research employs a qualitative analysis of the synergy between institutions within Romania’s national defence system and local public administration authorities. It examines the integration of defence components into the urban environment, with particular emphasis on the protection of critical infrastructure and the implementation of the 2021 resilience guidelines issued by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Results:
The findings indicate that Romania’s national defence system has evolved beyond a strictly military role, emerging as a key actor in safeguarding the vital functions of society. A central aspect identified is the need to align General Urban Plans with national defence strategies in order to ensure efficient evacuation routes, emergency shelter infrastructure, and the designation of protective buffer zones. The proposed approach contributes to reducing urban vulnerabilities and strengthening institutional response capacity in times of crisis.

Conclusions:
Although the integration of strategic objectives within urban areas may generate social discomfort or perceptions of militarisation, the research demonstrates that such risks can be mitigated through participatory governance and transparent institutional communication. In conclusion, the national defence system acts as a supporting actor in strengthening community trust and ensuring long-term urban sustainability in Romania.

Currently, urban areas are becoming more susceptible to climate-related risks such as urban heat island effects, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, and increased social fragmentation. Although Nature-Based Solutions (NbSs) have been recognized as a key approach to addressing these issues, their socio-ecological characteristics have been less explored. This paper seeks to re-conceptualize communal gardens as socio-ecological infrastructure that encompasses collective governance as well as environmental adaptation in European capital cities. To carry out this study, a multi-scalar approach is utilized. First, this paper examines climate action plans of selected European capital cities to determine how communal gardens feature in urban adaptation strategies. Second, spatial analysis of communal gardens is carried out to assess their role in regulating urban microclimates and promoting biodiversity ecological connectivity. In addition, governance systems, participation mechanisms, and collective management of communal gardens are also evaluated to determine their role in collective governance. The study reveals that communal gardens are hybrid infrastructures that reduce microclimate effects, increase biodiversity, and improve soil permeability, as well as fostering social cohesion, food security, and participatory governance. Their adaptability is seen not only in their ecological performance but also in their capacity to integrate ecological functions with social cohesion and place-based identity. By considering communal gardens as socio-ecological systems, they contribute to developing a framework for integrating community-oriented, nature-based solutions into urban climate policy. They also provide transferable knowledge for other cities aiming to harmonize climate adaptation, social equity, urban common spaces, and resilience.

Introduction

Research in neurobiology and environmental psychology indicates that excessive visual stimuli in urban environments may contribute to mental fatigue, reduced attention, and increased physiological stress. Visual pollution (VP) is defined as spatial configurations that generate perceptual overload and negatively affect mental health and quality of life. Despite growing scientific evidence, VP is still framed primarily as an aesthetic rather than a public health issue. In Poland, the phenomenon remains legally undefined and institutionally marginalised.

Methods

This study applies a doctrinal legal analysis combined with a review of interdisciplinary literature on VP and its physiological impacts. Polish environmental law was examined to determine whether the statutory definition of “pollution” could encompass VP. The regulatory potential of planning instruments, including local spatial development plans, landscape resolutions, and landscape audits, was analysed. The capacity of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) procedures to address visual impacts was also evaluated.

Results

The statutory definition of pollution in Polish law is limited to “emissions” harmful to health or the environment. As VP refers to spatial configurations rather than emissions, the current framework is inapplicable. Local plans have restricted competence regarding advertising structures, landscape resolutions are optional and legally ambiguous, and landscape audits are strategic and non-binding while VP manifests locally. Neither SEA nor EIA provides established methodologies for visual impact assessment. Consequently, VP lacks measurable thresholds, monitoring mechanisms, and mitigation obligations comparable to those governing other forms of pollution.

Conclusions

The absence of a legal definition results in VP's regulatory invisibility. Recognising it as an environmental health issue is necessary to develop effective instruments to reduce spatial degradation affecting public health in Polish cities.

This study explores data science–based solutions to address climate change and promote healthier and more sustainable cities. In this context, digitalization and the development of Urban Digital Twins (UDTws) are considered tools with the potential to contribute to CO₂ emissions control(1,2,3, 4,5).

The case of the city of Madrid is examined, where greenhouse gas emissions are structurally concentrated in building energy consumption and road transport (6,7,8) —sectors characterized by strong infrastructural inertia and long asset life cycles. Digital Twins have shown to be the most effective way for Facility Management and Data-backed decision-making [ref]. In this case, UDTws are emerging as digital infrastructures capable of integrating real-time data, simulation, and predictive analytics to optimize these systems. However, technological optimization does not automatically translate into effective emissions control.

This paper critically assesses whether Madrid should implement an Urban Digital Twin as a decision-support system to control CO₂ emissions in the building and transport sectors, in alignment with the principles of Industry 5.0. Based on a review of recent scientific literature and comparative international case studies, the study proposes a multi-layer digital twin architecture and evaluates its technological capabilities, economic feasibility, institutional requirements, and systemic risks. The findings indicate that emissions control ultimately depends on governance maturity, regulatory compatibility, and the implementation of effective public policy instruments.

This research is part of the project “Data Science and Urban Digital Twins for Emissions Control in Transport and Buildings,” developed within the MOMENTUM Programme of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration and integrated into the CSIC Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform PTI Mobility 2030. The research has been further enriched through the development of the Executive Master in Digital Twins, co-funded by the European Union and jointly organized by leading European civil engineering universities (UPM, ENPC and BME).

Climate change has intensified urban impacts worldwide, disproportionately affecting cities in developing countries where social vulnerability, institutional fragility, and financial constraints are more pronounced. This study examines Spain’s experience with climate change adaptation at the local level and discusses how its strategies can be realistically adapted to the Brazilian context, taking into account governance challenges and limited financial capacity. The research combines a review of national, regional, and local climate adaptation policies in Spain and Brazil with technical visits to Spanish cities (including Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Málaga, Córdoba, Granada, and Zaragoza). Spain stands out for its structured, multilevel climate governance, supported by a national adaptation plan, strong regional climate legislation, and well-defined municipal strategies. In contrast, Brazil faces fragmented governance, weak coordination across government levels, uneven municipal capacity, and persistent difficulties in mobilizing financial resources. Despite these differences, several Spanish adaptation strategies show high potential for application in Brazilian cities, particularly because of their relatively low cost and scalability. These include the following: 1) climate shelters, to protect vulnerable populations during heatwaves and extreme weather; 2) urban drainage systems and infiltration gardens, to reduce flood risks; and 3) shading structures and public water points, to mitigate the urban heat island effect and episodes of low relative humidity. When adapted to local realities, such measures can be integrated into existing urban infrastructure, implemented gradually, and subsidized by federal budgets—with the possibility of leveraging foreign and private sector financing. The Spanish experience demonstrates that effective climate adaptation does not depend solely on high levels of investment, but on coordinated governance, citizen participation, and context-sensitive planning. For Brazil, adapting these strategies represents a concrete opportunity to advance urban resilience, provided they are aligned with local vulnerabilities, supported by political commitment, and complemented by accessible financing and international cooperation.