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Green Infrastructure Planning for Sustainable Urban Development: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Literature Review with Implications for Arid Regions
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DOI：10.1016/j.envdev.2026.101504.png)
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Abstract
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The rapid urbanization and population growth have led to severe environmental pressures in urban areas and cities, primarily through the deterioration of air quality and the intensifying urban heat island (UHI) effect. To address these challenges, Green Infrastructure (GI) and Green Infrastructure Planning (GIP) are known as essential tools that are capable of promoting sustainable urban development. This study presents the findings from a systematic literature review (SLR), as part of a larger investigation study in Bahrain. The methodology is guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), which was used to screen 493 publications from the Scopus database, published between 2010 and May 2025. As a result, 66 studies were found to be eligible for further detailed analysis. The selected literature was grouped into several core themes to examine how GIP can aid in achieving urban sustainability and resilience, the alignment of GI with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the best international practices used in the case studies. Seven key dimensions of GIP were identified, such as policy alignment, urban integration, spatial connectivity, multifunctionality, stakeholder engagement, monitoring, and resilience. The result also indicated that approximately 65% of the sustainability goals can be achieved through GI integration, with strong alignment with health and well-being (SDG3), sustainable cities (SDG11), and climate action (SDG13). A considerable variation in GIP implementation was observed in 27 case studies across different climatic contexts, with a notable concentration in tropical, Mediterranean, and temperate regions, while relatively limited representation in arid and semi-arid settings. The key gaps involved a lack of a cohesive framework, insufficient representation of arid regions, and limited empirical evidence. Therefore, to enhance the GIP’s role in the future urban agenda, it is crucial to conduct empirical, context-specific, and cross-sectoral research. The study adds to the literature by providing an integrated synthesis of GIP components and offering an additional context-specific implication for arid and rapidly urbanizing areas in the development of resilient and focused planning frameworks.
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