An innovative tool for supporting urban policies: assessing the health of mediterranean urban greenery with portable optical technologies and vegetation metrics

Authors

  • Francesca Sanfilippo Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari,
  • Francesca Rossi National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Applied physics "Nello Carrara" (IFAC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1199-8019
  • Lorenza Tuccio National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Applied physics "Nello Carrara" (IFAC)
  • Lucia Cavigli National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Applied physics "Nello Carrara" (IFAC)
  • Giorgio Querzoli Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3770-6034
  • Ivan Blečić Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4446-6705
  • Valeria Saiu Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2221-5814
  • Paolo Matteini National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Applied physics "Nello Carrara" (IFAC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8488-5867

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/11163

Keywords:

Urban greenery, Urban planning and management, Impact assessment;, Climate change

Abstract

Urban green spaces are crucial for cityscapes, particularly in the context of escalating extreme weather, global warming, and pollution. Effective policy-making, planning and management of urban green infrastructure are critical for sustaining sustainable and healthier urban ecosystems. This study utilizes advanced optical technologies and standard vegetation metrics to assess the physiological status of Mediterranean plant species (Quercus Ilex L. and Nerium Oleander L.) across various urban habitats of Cagliari (Italy), compared to a control site in Sardinia's interior. Analysis of historical air quality data (2019-2023) identified two key periods—post-summer and post-winter—for evaluating plant responses to environmental factors and pollutants. Metrics such as leaf area, fresh and dry leaf weight, and trunk diameter were recorded. Additionally, portable sensors for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), fluorescence/transmission, and Raman spectroscopy were employed to non-invasively monitor leaf pigments. The results revealed species and location-specific variations in chlorophyll, polyphenols, and carotenoids, alongside different biometric trends. Future research will integrate soil analysis and satellite data to assess local factors like traffic density, land surface temperature, and pollutant distribution. This preliminary study aims to develop a comprehensive strategy for monitoring and managing urban greenery, ultimately fostering a greener and more sustainable city environment.

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Author Biographies

Francesca Sanfilippo, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari,

She is a Research Fellow at CNR – IFAC in Florence, focusing on precision medicine strategies for Alzheimer's and food innovation through technology transfer. She holds a Master's in Environmental Sciences and a PhD in Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering. Her experience spans various research projects, including sustainable agriculture, digitalization, and industrial transition. She has worked with Confindustria, supported technological innovation, and contributed to European projects. Sanfilippo is involved in knowledge transfer, and has experience in educational and scientific dissemination across different fields. 

Francesca Rossi, National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Applied physics "Nello Carrara" (IFAC)

She is a Senior Researcher at the "Nello Carrara" Institute of Applied Physics (CNR). Her main interest is in light-biological material interactions, focusing on the design of innovative medical devices in collaboration with physicians and photonics companies. She works on developing new surgical, therapeutic, and diagnostic approaches in areas like ophthalmology, dermatology, and neurosurgery. She coordinates regional, national, and European projects, holds 8 patents, and has over 130 scientific publications. Additionally, she leads innovation transfer activities and serves as a project proposal reviewer for European institutions. 

Lorenza Tuccio, National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Applied physics "Nello Carrara" (IFAC)

She is researcher at the "Nello Carrara" Institute of Applied Physics (CNR). She received her PhD in ‘Crop Productions Science’ at the University of Pisa and Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies. She works on proximal sensing in precision agriculture and applications of portable tools in the agri-food sector. Her research interests are focused on the development and application of spectroscopic indices for the non-destructive assessment of chemical compounds on leaves and fruits by portable optical sensors and mapping of spatial and temporal variability of fruit ripening and plant growth from georeferenced data. 

Lucia Cavigli, National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Applied physics "Nello Carrara" (IFAC)

She is physicist, received her PhD degree in Materials Science from Department of Physics of University of Florence in 2006. Since 2011, she is Researcher at Cnr-Institute of Applied Physics. Her skills are in the fields of optical spectroscopy and nanoplasmonics. Her current research interests include the development of photoacoustic platforms for biomedical purposes and photonics tools for agri-food.  She is co-author of more than 80 publications on scientific journals and conferences (h-index =19, Scopus). 

Giorgio Querzoli, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

Since 2006, he has been a full professor of Hydraulics at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture at the University of Cagliari, following previous roles as an associate professor and researcher. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Monitoring Methods from the University of Florence. His academic roles include chairing various PhD and degree programs in civil engineering. He has been involved in multiple scientific boards and editorial committees, including AIVELA and the International Symposia on Laser Techniques. His research focuses on fluid dynamics in biological and environmental systems, with notable projects on cardiovascular fluid mechanics and turbulent flows. He has coordinated several national research projects. 

Ivan Blečić, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

Full Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture at the University of Cagliari. He is the coordinator of the PhD program in Civil and Architectural Engineering and the director of the Glab Interdepartmental Center. As of July 1, 2024, he serves as Director of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture. His research focuses on evaluation methods and decision support for complex projects and territorial policies, with particular attention to antifragile planning and urban rent. He has developed models for simulating urban dynamics using cellular automata and machine learning techniques. His models have been applied to European projects related to sustainability and energy management. 

Valeria Saiu, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

She, PhD in Civil Engineering, is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, and Architectural Engineering at the University of Cagliari. Her main research interest lies in defining integrated models for multi-criteria, quantitative, and qualitative evaluation, useful for outlining alternative intervention scenarios and structuring informed decision-making processes on the multiple impacts of various choices in urban transformations . Her most recent interest is the development of methods and tools for assessing the sustainability of urban areas, particularly concerning the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the 2030 Agenda, in relation to their national, regional, and local strategies. 

Paolo Matteini, National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Applied physics "Nello Carrara" (IFAC)

He has been a research director at the Institute of Applied Physics of the CNR since 2021 where he carries out research and management activities in the field of optical spectroscopies for the development of biomedical diagnosis methods and agrifood applications. His research interests include: 1) biophotonic technologies, including advanced microscopy techniques (Confocal Fluorescence, Raman, AFM) for biomolecule characterization; 2) Raman spectroscopy and Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy for monitoring altered human and plant health states; 3) Functional nanomaterials (gold and silver nanoparticles, graphene, biopolymers) that can be activated with laser radiation for applications in cell imaging and detection. He has been scientific Coordinator of several European and national projects on development of novel strategies based on optical sensing and co-authored more than 150 publications in international journals, scientific books and international proceedings. 

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Published

24-06-2025

How to Cite

Sanfilippo, F., Rossi, F., Tuccio, L., Cavigli, L., Querzoli, G., Blečić, I., … Matteini, P. (2025). An innovative tool for supporting urban policies: assessing the health of mediterranean urban greenery with portable optical technologies and vegetation metrics. TeMA - Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment, 91–104. https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/11163

Issue

2025: Innovation, green infrastructures and urban form. Towards regenerative city models

Section

SI 2025. Innovation, Green Infrastructures and Urban Form

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