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Research Paper | Urban and Rural Planning | Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026 | Pages: 242 - 256 | Kenya
Exploring the Role of Urban Green Spaces in Building Climate-Resilient Cities: The Case of Nairobi City
Abstract: Urbanization alters urban microclimates by replacing vegetated and permeable surfaces with impervious surfaces that absorb and retain solar radiation, contributing to urban heat island (UHI) effects. This study examined the role of urban green spaces in mitigating urban heat and supporting climate resilience in Nairobi City. A geospatial approach using Landsat imagery from 1986, 2002, 2010, and 2020 was applied to assess land use and land cover (LULC), land surface temperature (LST), and vegetation abundance using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The results showed substantial expansion of built-up areas, from 46.7 km2 in 1986 to 203.6 km2 in 2020, while mean LST increased from 24.52°C to 27.70°C. Forest and other vegetated areas generally recorded lower LST values than built-up and bare or transitional areas. Regression analysis further indicated a predominantly inverse relationship between LST and NDVI, demonstrating the cooling influence of vegetation. These findings highlight the importance of protecting, restoring, and appropriately configuring urban green spaces as part of heat-mitigation and climate-resilient urban planning in Nairobi.
Keywords: Urban heat island; Urban green space; Climate resilience; Land surface temperature; NDVI; Land use and land cover; Nairobi
How to Cite?: Esther Barbara Njiru, Antony Abilla, "Exploring the Role of Urban Green Spaces in Building Climate-Resilient Cities: The Case of Nairobi City", Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 242-256, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR23123133454, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR23123133454