Beyond NDVI - Remote Sensing, AI, and Citizen Science for Urban Green Space and Health Research

BRANCH addresses the urgent need for healthier, more climate-resilient, and inclusive cities by advancing how urban green spaces are mapped, understood, and linked to public health. Although the importance of urban greenery for physical and mental well-being is increasingly recognized in policy and research, most studies and planning tools still rely on simplistic greenness indices such as

NDVI or total green cover. These fail to capture the structural, ecological, and experiential qualities of green spaces that are most relevant for health outcomes.