Raziyeh Teimouri

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1. Introduction Over the last century, rapid urbanisation has been causing a range of environmental challenges, such as urban overheating and air pollution [,], as well as the diminishing of green areas in cities []. The environmental fragility of cities and advanced urbanisation have motivated extensive research and policy efforts on sustainable urban development [,]. More recently, planners have been applying sustainability principles to urban planning [].

1. Introduction 1.1. Background Vegetation cover is essential to urban ecosystem services [1] and has significant environmental, aesthetic, recreational, health and economic values in cities [2,3]. It plays a vital role in biosphere activities and terrestrial ecosystem operations by affecting hydrology, climate, and nitrogen and carbon cycles [4].