Density of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM):
Concentration of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) or PM10 observed in the
air at the observation point in the target city.
Density of Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ), Density of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ):
Average value by creating indexes for concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and
concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) in the air at observation points in the
city.
11.2.2.3 Under the “Natural Environment” Indicator Group
Water Quality:
The BOD value at the nearest observation point in the target city, based on
statistics provided by the Global Environmental Management System
(GMES).
Level of Green Coverage:
Numerical value assigned based on a comparison of satellite photography of
green coverage in an area of the same diameter for all target cities.
Comfort Level of Temperature:
Total (for 12 months) of a value representing the amount (in
C) by which the
target city’s average monthly temperature deviates from an ideal temperature
range (18–22
C) each month.
It is important to note that the indicators employed by the GPCI to gauge the city’s
environmental performance may be different from those used by environmental
scholars. The GPCI’s Environment indicators are not based on original scientific
surveys but on the existing statistics of varied availability and publication dates. The
possibility of consistent data acquisition for all 40 cities determines the GPCI’s
research. The measurement of Level of Green Coverage, for instance, requires a
manual comparison of the satellite image of the city (within a radius of 10 km from
the city center). However, the GPCI’s multilevel scoring across 40 cities may
provide useful insights into urban sustainability.
210
H. Ichikawa and K. Sasaki
Concentration of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) or PM10 observed in the
air at the observation point in the target city.
Density of Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ), Density of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ):
Average value by creating indexes for concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and
concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) in the air at observation points in the
city.
11.2.2.3 Under the “Natural Environment” Indicator Group
Water Quality:
The BOD value at the nearest observation point in the target city, based on
statistics provided by the Global Environmental Management System
(GMES).
Level of Green Coverage:
Numerical value assigned based on a comparison of satellite photography of
green coverage in an area of the same diameter for all target cities.
Comfort Level of Temperature:
Total (for 12 months) of a value representing the amount (in
C) by which the
target city’s average monthly temperature deviates from an ideal temperature
range (18–22
C) each month.
It is important to note that the indicators employed by the GPCI to gauge the city’s
environmental performance may be different from those used by environmental
scholars. The GPCI’s Environment indicators are not based on original scientific
surveys but on the existing statistics of varied availability and publication dates. The
possibility of consistent data acquisition for all 40 cities determines the GPCI’s
research. The measurement of Level of Green Coverage, for instance, requires a
manual comparison of the satellite image of the city (within a radius of 10 km from
the city center). However, the GPCI’s multilevel scoring across 40 cities may
provide useful insights into urban sustainability.
210
H. Ichikawa and K. Sasaki
