The Camino de Santiago is one of the most important pilgrimage routes and representative of the world of Christianity, and the first European Cultural Route that leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Cazaux in Tour Int Interdiscip J 3(1):353–367, 2011; Mróz et al. in Int J Relig Tour Pilgr 7(5):56–71, 2019; Roszak in J Relig Health, 62:2734–2745, 2023; Zhang et al. in J Relig Health, 63(1):89–108, 2...
The urban microclimate of Avenida dos Aliados and Praça da Liberdade was subjected to comprehensive examination through twelve measurement campaigns at six strategic observation points over the course of two seasons, namely summer and winter, between 2019 and 2020. The study employed an objective approach based on measurements to evaluate key microclimatic factors, including air temperature, which ranged from 1...
Green infrastructure plays a fundamental role in mitigating the effects of urban heat island. Vegetation may trap particulates and absorb pollutants like ozone, thus improving air quality. Understanding how green infrastructure reduces urban heat island and air pollution within specific urban zones can provide valuable insights for better urban design, improved environmental quality, and increased resident well...
Climate change has a global impact, particularly in urban areas. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are gaining prominence as an important alternative, harnessing natural processes to deliver socio-economic and environmental benefits, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas, owing to their multifaceted nature. In Europe, NbS are being primarily explored in urban environments to enhance resilience to extreme climat...
Este capítulo analisa o papel das cidades nas Transições para a Sustentabilidade, com enfoque nas Soluções baseadas na Natureza (SbN) como estratégias-chave para enfrentar os desafios urbanos do Antropoceno. Parte da interseção da ciência geográfica com os estudos de sustentabilidade, destacando a importância de abordagens espaciais na transformação dos sistemas urbanos. As SbN são apresentadas como alternativa...
[Excerpt] It is time to go beyond traditional boundaries and investigate a more thorough understanding of the relationship between green spaces and human health, even though research on this topic is well established (Vidal et al., 2022). This is especially important given the looming challenges posed by climate change and other compounding crises (Vidal et al., 2024). This editorial highlights the need for pra...
The study of Sustainability Transitions (STs) has emerged as an interdisciplinary research field aimed at understanding and guiding societal transformations toward sustainability. While significant advancements have been made in analyzing socio-technical, economic, and policy dimensions, spatial aspects of STs have been largely overlooked. This study contributes to the field by conducting a systematic literatur...
The escalating impacts of climate change necessitate innovative urban planning and management strategies to safeguard communities against extreme weather events. This study explores the creation of climate shelters areas with the use of technologies, namely a mobile application, within the urban center of Braga, Portugal. Utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) project, we mapped areas of extreme heat ri...
The urgent need to accelerate the energy transition in the European Union has made spatial planning a key tool for effective and equitable deployment of renewable energy. Directive (EU) 2023/2413 requires Member States to designate “renewable acceleration areas” where renewable projects can be rapidly implemented with minimal environmental impact. However, the methodological basis for identifying such areas rem...
In densely populated areas such as urban centres, where soil sealing, buildings, air pollution, and noise from road traffic are greater, the presence of urban green spaces (UGS) plays an important role by providing ecosystem ser-vices that significantly impact population’s health and well-being, as well as on urban biodiversity. The city of Braga has important UGS located within Braga’s inner ring road: Monte P...