Urban green infrastructure effects on ecosystem services, social well-being and climate adaptation: an international systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Evidence on urban green infrastructure, ecosystem services, social well-being and climate adaptation has expanded during the last years, but differences in design, scale, indicators and territorial context still complicate direct comparison. A traceable synthesis is therefore needed to. Objective: To systematically evaluate the evidence on urban green infrastructure, ecosystem services, social well-being and climate adaptation, identifying recurrent mechanisms, context-dependent effects and gaps that matter for policy and territorial management. Method: A systematic review was conducted for the 2020–2025 publication window using the corrected evidence matrix supplied for this manuscript. The final corpus comprised 23 peer-reviewed journal studies, each with a real and traceable DOI. Searches and verification considered Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, SciELO, Redalyc, Google Scholar and journal platforms. Eligibility required thematic relevance, explicit methods, recoverable results and bibliographic traceability. Study context, design, analytical dimensions, principal findings and limitations were. Results: The studies consistently link green infrastructure with regulating and cultural ecosystem services, thermal moderation and well-being, while the magnitude of benefits depends on configuration, accessibility and surrounding urban form. Evidence on distributional equity is less mature, and network-level planning remains less studied than individual parks or green-space types. Conclusions: The synthesis supports context-sensitive decisions rather than universal prescriptions. For infraestructura verde urbana, servicios ecosistémicos y bienestar social, future research should improve comparability of indicators, reporting transparency and longitudinal assessment, while explicitly documenting equity, governance and implementation.