Aurobindo Ogra

Land surface temperature (LST) is an important parameter for monitoring the thermal condition of the land surface, especially in rapidly urbanizing mountain areas. This study examines the spatial pattern of LST and its statistical association with land use/land cover (LULC) in Sundernagar Tehsil, Himachal Pradesh, India, using Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Collection 2 Level 2 scenes of 23 March 2015, 4 March 2020 and 18 March 2025. The three scenes were acquired on different dates within March; therefore, each scene is treated as a separate cross-sectional observation, and differences in absolute LST among dates are not interpreted as long-term change. LST was taken from the Surface Temperature band (ST_B10) and summarised for five LULC classes: Protected Area, Agricultural Area, Build-up Area, Barren Land and Water Bodies. Zonal statistics gave the same thermal order in all three scenes, with Barren Land showing the highest mean LST (29.74 °C, 22.20 °C, 25.21 °C) and Water Bodies the lowest (24.05 °C, 18.18 °C, 20.72 °C). Neighboring pixels are spatially autocorrelated and cannot be treated as independent observations. Therefore, the pixel-level Pearson correlations between LST and the spectral indices (NDVI, NDWI, and NDBI) are interpreted as descriptive measures of association, while nominal p-values and confidence intervals are not treated as inferential statistics. On the full raster, NDBI had positive correlations with LST (r = 0.3671, 0.2406, and 0.3154), while NDWI had negative correlations (r = −0.2790, −0.2988, and −0.2801). Across the three spectral indices, the unadjusted relationships explained approximately 2–13% of LST variance. NDVI showed weak positive unadjusted correlations with LST (r = 0.1315–0.1879), but its regression coefficient became negative in all three scenes after adjustment for elevation, slope, and aspect. Adding terrain variables to the LULC models increased R² from 0.148–0.315 to 0.598–0.632, indicating that interpretation of land cover thermal associations was sensitive to terrain adjustment. The results show a consistent association between land cover and surface temperature within each date and can support land use planning in Himalayan towns, but they do not show a causal effect or a long-term trend.

Land-use/land-cover (LULC) change affects the balance between settlements, agricultural land, and natural ecosystems, making its assessment important for land-use planning in mountainous regions. This study integrates Random Forest (RF) classification and Cellular Automata–Artificial Neural Network (CA-ANN) modeling to assess historical LULC change in Sarkaghat Tehsil, Himachal Pradesh, and generate baseline projections for 2031 and 2046. Landsat imagery from 2016, 2021, and 2026 was classified into six classes: Forest Land (FL), Agricultural Land (AL), Built-up Land (BUL), Barren Land (BL), Water Body (WB), and Grass Land (GL). Overall classification accuracy was 95%, 96%, and 93%, respectively, with Kappa coefficients of 0.91, 0.94, and 0.89. The 2026 map had the lowest accuracy; the lower agreement was particularly evident for Grass Land, which had a user’s accuracy of 0.83. Historical comparisons from 2016 to 2026 showed increases in BUL (0.46%), BL (0.04%), and GL (0.16%), and decreases in AL (0.45%) and FL (0.21%); WB changed negligibly. The CA–ANN simulation of 2026, evaluated against the independently classified 2026 map, achieved an overall accuracy of 97.898% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.965. Relative to 2016, the 2031 baseline projection indicates changes of FL 0.00%, AL −0.37%, BUL +0.27%, BL −0.03%, WB 0.00%, and GL +0.13%. For 2046, the corresponding changes are FL −0.01%, AL −0.37%, BUL +0.27%, BL −0.03%, WB 0.00%, and GL +0.14%. The projections are conditional on stable historical transition relationships and should be interpreted as baseline scenarios rather than certain forecasts. The integrated workflow provides a locally evaluated basis for assessing land transitions and informing land-use planning in Sarkaghat Tehsil.

Since the 1990s, Bangalore has undergone rapid urbanisation, largely driven by the growth of IT parks, attracting multinational corporations and a significant population influx. The development of transportation infrastructure, including new roads, transit systems and international airports, along with the construction of malls and other developments, further fuelled the urban growth. Despite this expansion, the quantitative analysis of event-triggered urban land area expansion remains under-explored. This study systematically assesses the impacts of specific physical events on urban land and surrounding regions. We employed spatiotemporal land use classification and computed landscape metrics at a grid level to analyze how significant events contribute to urban area expansion. Based on 24 land use maps from 2000 to 2023, analysis reveals rapid urban expansion in the core city, with significant decreases in vegetation and other land use classes over the last two decades. Notably, events such as the construction of an airport and shopping malls led to dramatic changes in urban land use. For instance, North Bangalore, predominantly paddy fields, shrubs and water bodies in 2000, became largely urbanized by 2015. These findings highlight the impact of event-triggered urban expansion and land fragmentation and offer valuable insights for urban planning and sustainable development.

The Louis Botha Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) was introduced to address apartheid-era urban fragmentation. However, the extent to which the TOD initiative has translated into tangible built-form outcomes remains unclear. This study empirically evaluates TOD performance along the Louis Botha Corridor, covering eight precincts along the 13.16 km stretch. The precincts include Hillbrow, Berea, Orange Grove, Highlands North, Balfour, Bramley, Wynberg, and Marlboro. The measurable parameters are Building Footprint Density (BFD), Floor Area Ratio (FAR), land-use composition, and transit accessibility. The results show a corridor-wide average BFD of 0.2689 and average FAR of 0.5046, indicating moderate but uneven development intensity. Wynberg emerges as the highest-intensity node, (BFD 0.4049 and FAR 0.8196), while Hillbrow exhibits strong vertical intensification with a high FAR of 0.7098 despite a lower BFD (0.1925). In contrast, Marlboro, Berea, Balfour, Orange Grove, and Highlands North have a FARs below the corridor average of 0.5046. Land-use analysis reveals a corridor-level balance (53.14% residential, 44.40% non-residential); however, at the precinct level, monofunctional use prevails, with residential dominance in Orange Grove (87.96%), Highlands North (79.39%), and Berea (75.86%). Transit accessibility analysis indicates inconsistent station spacing (mean = 1.68 km; SD = 0.75 km), with about 87.51% of walking distances exceeding 400 m, which exceeds recommended TOD thresholds. The findings underscore the need for precinct-specific densification policies and stronger coordination between transit investment, development control, and urban governance to achieve more inclusive, transit-supportive urban growth.

The parks and open spaces of planned neighbourhood are generally underutilized in cities due to the lack of a Child-Friendly Environment (CFE). The quality of parks and open spaces can be elevated by addressing and improving the deficiencies identified in their conditions. There is a need to identify the parameters for rating neighbourhood parks and open spaces. This research aims to understand the level of CFEin the planned neighbourhood parks of a metropolitan city. The research considers three parks as case study areas, Gandhi Park, Maharanapratap Park, and Balmiki Park in the city of Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. The research employed the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to rate the parks with the use of a nine-point weighting scale. The research identified various dimensions under five major parameters of CFE, namely: perception, physical, social, cognitive, and emotional. The cognitive and perception parameters are observed to play the most significant role in generating CFE. The research result could be used in planning and developing CFE parks and open spaces in neighbourhoods by incorporating the critical dimensions and key elements of the identified parameters in policy guidelines, norms and standards.

The reuse of Waste Foundry Sand (WFS) in construction remains constrained by fragmented research, unclear regulatory pathways, and inconsistent assessments of environmental safety and material performance. This study introduces a novel decision-making framework that systematically integrates mechanical performance metrics and leachate toxicity data to classify WFS into three categories: Approved, Reusable with Treatment, or Rejected. The framework is based on a bibliometric analysis of 822 publications and a meta-analysis of 45 experimental mix designs and 30 peer-reviewed leachate studies. Normalized compressive strength (NSR), water-to-cement (w/c) ratio, and heavy metal leachate concentrations are used as screening criteria. Thresholds are benchmarked against regulatory limits from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the European Union Landfill Directive, and South Africa’s National Waste Standards. Validation using field data from a foundry in Gauteng Province, South Africa, confirms the framework’s practicality and adaptability. Results indicate that over 80 percent of WFS samples comply with environmental thresholds, and mixes with 10-to-30 percent WFS substitution often outperform control specimens in terms of compressive strength. However, leachate exceedances for cobalt and lead in certain chemically bonded sands highlight the need for batch-specific evaluation and potential treatment. The proposed framework supports data-driven, transparent reuse decisions that enhance environmental compliance and promote circular material flows in the built environment. Future work should focus on digital implementation, life-cycle monitoring, and expanding the framework to other industrial byproducts.

The significant expansion of the construction sector and corresponding depletion of natural sand resources have intensified the search for sustainable alternatives, with waste foundry sand (WFS) emerging as a promising candidate. This systematic review evaluates the environmental performance and engineering feasibility of using WFS as a substitute for natural sand in construction. A PRISMA-guided search identified 152 peer-reviewed studies published between 2001 and 2024, which were categorized into four thematic areas: material characterization, construction applications, environmental impacts, and regulatory frameworks. The findings indicate that substituting 10–30% of natural sand with WFS in concrete and asphalt can deliver compressive strength within ±5% of control mixes and reduce water absorption by 5–15% at optimal replacement levels. However, contamination risks remain a concern, as chromium and copper concentrations in raw WFS have been reported at up to 931 mg/kg and 3318 mg/kg, respectively. To address these risks and ensure responsible reuse, a six-stage framework is proposed in this study, comprising end-of-waste classification, contaminant assessment, material preprocessing, certification, and regulatory monitoring. A comprehensive decision tree is also presented to guide the feasibility assessment of WFS reuse based on contaminant levels and material performance.

The rapid urbanization and industrialization have intensified the multifaceted challenges faced by cities in addressing infrastructure and service delivery demands. These complexities necessitate a robust convergence of academic, research, and industry ecosystems to foster professional skills development across various levels of urban and regional planning. The purpose of this research paper is to introduce a Collaborative Institutional Mentorship Model (CIMM) designed to strengthen the linkage between planning professional bodies, higher education institutions (HEIs), and industry stakeholders to produce industry-aligned academic and professional skills outcomes. Using a qualitative research approach, the study utilized cohort group discussions and logbook analysis to identify critical areas for professional skills development within the urban and regional planning discipline. The findings highlight gaps in current educational frameworks, emphasizing the need for enhanced collaboration to address evolving industry requirements. By fostering continuous dialogue and knowledge exchange, the proposed CIMM framework aims to bridge the academic-industry divide, enhancing the employability of graduates and the adaptability of professionals. The paper concludes by advocating the adoption of CIMM as a scalable and replicable strategy, with practical implications to strengthen planning education globally, addressing the dynamic challenges of urban development while cultivating a skilled workforce capable of navigating complex urban futures.

The urban environment is a product of many tangible and intangible factors for communities, involving activities, spaces, and users of different age groups. Stakeholder consultation has become an essential part of envisaging any urban space. In general practice, mostly adults’ opinions and suggestions are taken into account, and children are sidelined, even if the issues are related to children. Children are an integral part of the present urbanizing world and are some of its most sensitive and affected users. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes three P’s: provision, protection, and participation. The third, participation, is a crucial dimension of creating a healthier environment, but it has largely been neglected. The drawing technique is among the methods to gather information directly through the children’s participatory approach. It has been observed that children prefer to express themselves by drawing rather than answering questions and find it easy and enjoyable. This research incorporates drawing as a methodological tool for identifying children’s expectations and understanding their preferences about their ideal neighborhood park. A total of 80 children aged between 6 and 15 years from planned zones of Lucknow city were selected for the research. The results derived from the content and co-relation data analysis techniques highlight that children emphasized physical, perceptional, cognitive, emotional, and social parameters for developing a child-friendly environment in parks and open spaces.