Environmental Livability Index: Urban Well-being & Sustainable Development
What truly makes a city livable? Traditional livability metrics often emphasize infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, and economic opportunities. However, the environmental conditions of a city, such as air quality, heat stress, blue and green spaces (vegetation and water availability), and exposure to natural hazards, have a direct and lasting impact on the health, safety, and overall well-being of its residents.
As urban populations grow and climate challenges intensify, urban sustainability becomes central to building climate resilient cities that are not only functional but also livable and future-ready. Despite this growing urgency, most existing livability indices either under-represent or oversimplify environmental indicators. There is a growing need for an accurate environmental livability index that captures environmental realities and paints a clear picture of how cities actually feel to live in.
Recognizing this gap, a high-resolution Environmental Livability Index has been developed to offer a more nuanced, data-driven view of urban sustainability, grounded in environmental realities.
Disclaimer: This Environmental Livability Index is based on current research and designed as a strategic diagnostic tool to support urban planning, policymaking, and community engagement. As methodologies and data sources improve, the index may evolve over time. It should be used alongside other socio-economic and contextual information, rather than as the sole basis for decision-making.
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Why Do We Need an
Environmental Livability Index?
Did you know that simply spending time in nature can boost your mood, reduce stress, and even give you a stronger sense of purpose?
According to research highlighted by the American Psychological Association in their article Nurtured by Nature, regular contact with natural environments is linked to greater happiness, improved well-being, more positive social interactions, and a deeper sense of meaning in life. It also plays a role in lowering anxiety and mental distress. In essence, greener surroundings do not just look good, they help us feel good too.
In fact, the benefits of nature extend well beyond emotional wellness and directly influence how our minds function. Studies suggest that spending time in green spaces can sharpen our attention, boost memory, and improve mental clarity. For example, research has shown children who attend schools surrounded by greenery tend to show better cognitive development, and those living in homes with views of natural elements often exhibit stronger self-regulation. Adults residing in areas with more trees and vegetation have demonstrated better focus and attention control than those in less green surroundings. Even brief exposure to natural environments has been shown to enhance memory and flexible thinking, while heavily urbanized settings may contribute to cognitive fatigue and reduced attention span.
Beyond cognitive and emotional benefits, nature also encourages healthier behaviors that contribute to overall happiness and longevity. Green spaces such as parks, gardens, and open natural areas create inviting settings that motivate people to be more physically active, whether that is walking, jogging, cycling, or simply spending time outdoors. This increased activity supports physical health, which in turn enhances mental well being.
Moreover, natural environments often serve as social hubs. They offer shared spaces where families, friends, neighbors, and communities can connect. These social interactions are more than just pleasant experiences, they are proven contributors to life satisfaction. Strong social bonds, whether formed through casual conversations or regular meetups in a local park, play a significant role in shaping how happy and fulfilled people feel.
Despite these proven benefits of nature, cities today are moving in the opposite direction. As urban areas become more crowded and climate related threats grow, access to green, breathable, and health supporting environments is becoming uneven. The very elements that promote well being, such as clean air, tree cover, water bodies, and open spaces, are under pressure from rapid development and environmental degradation.
To safeguard public health and happiness in this changing landscape, urban decision making must evolve. Relying only on static reports or fragmented indicators is no longer sufficient. What cities need is a dynamic and real time system that captures the complexity of environmental conditions and reveals where stress, inequality, or resilience gaps exist.
This is where the Environmental Livability Index (ELI) plays a transformative role. Designed as a strategic planning tool, ELI helps city authorities turn scattered environmental data into clear and actionable insights, enabling smarter, faster, and more equitable urban interventions.
A Digital Twin of Environmental Reality
The Environmental Livability Index serves as the core intelligence layer for a city’s environmental digital twin — a high-resolution, virtual replica of the physical city enriched with live environmental data streams. This digital infrastructure empowers planners, officials, and researchers to visualize, diagnose, and forecast the livability of every neighborhood.
By integrating the Environmental Livability Index into this digital framework, cities gain a dynamic toolset to understand, respond to, and plan for environmental challenges with precision. Here’s how ELI powers this transformation:
1. Real-Time Environmental Intelligence
ELI aggregates hyperlocal data on Air Quality Index (AQI), land surface temperature, water availability, and population density. This allows the digital twin to reflect actual, up-to-the-minute environmental conditions rather than relying on outdated averages or generalized indicators.
2. Tracking Spatiotemporal Changes
With grid-level resolution and time-series analysis, the index shows how environmental pressures shift across seasons, locations, and urban infrastructure. It helps pinpoint emerging risks and evaluate the persistence of existing challenges.
3. Simulating Future Scenarios
ELI enables planners to run “what-if” simulations — testing how new infrastructure, parks, zoning changes, or development intensity would affect urban heat islands, AQI levels, or water stress zones.
4. Measuring Impact and ROI
The index offers a data-driven framework for assessing the return on investment for urban interventions. Whether it’s green roofs, reflective surfaces, or new water bodies, their effect on environmental livability can be quantified and optimized.
5. Enabling Predictive Urban Planning
As ELI evolves with machine learning, it not only diagnoses the present but also forecasts future conditions. This predictive capability enables proactive urban management — from heatwave preparedness to pollution mitigation and flood risk reduction.
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How Does The Environmental
Livability Index Work?
The city is mapped into a grid (e.g., at a ward or even 1-square-kilometer level). Each grid cell in the city receives a final livability score based on the seven weighted parameters.
This creates a colour-coded heat map of environmental quality. As a high-resolution diagnostic map, it pinpoints stressed neighbourhoods. Officials can deconstruct low scores to identify specific root causes, whether extreme heat (LST), poor air quality (AQI), or a lack of green space or water bodies. This precision enables targeted interventions and justifies evidence-based budget allocation to ensure targeted investments where they will have the greatest impact on residents’ well-being.
The index also guides strategic planning for sustainable urban development in India by allowing authorities to model the environmental impact of new developments. It is vital for promoting environmental justice, revealing and helping rectify inequities where vulnerable communities bear the brunt of poor environmental conditions. For climate resilience, its data layers are critical for preparing for heatwaves and managing urban flood risks. By tracking the index over time, the city can monitor policy effectiveness, creating a transparent “report card” that fosters public accountability and drives continuous improvement in the urban environment.
What Are The Foundational Metrics of Our
Environmental Livability Index?
What makes the Environmental Liveability Index unique is its holistic, geospatial foundation. We have incorporated the following critical metrics to define true urban resilience and wellbeing:
1. Green Spaces
In an increasingly dense urban fabric, the benefits of green spaces for urban health are clear, as they act as essential ecological lifelines. More than just landscaped zones, they serve as dynamic buffers that moderate environmental extremes, support urban biodiversity, and enable healthier lifestyles. Their presence directly influences how cities breathe, feel, and function.
- Improve air quality by filtering pollutants and absorbing CO₂
- Help regulate urban temperatures by providing natural cooling
- Promote mental wellbeing and stress relief through recreational access
- Support biodiversity by offering habitats for urban flora and fauna
- Aid in flood mitigation through improved stormwater absorption
2. Urban Built-Up Index (NDBI)
The Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) highlights the extent of urbanization by identifying built-up surfaces like roads, rooftops, and pavements. While it reflects urban growth, unchecked expansion often comes at the cost of environmental comfort and resilience.
- Higher NDBI is linked with increased land surface temperatures
- Built-up areas reduce green space and intensify heat islands
- Dense construction can block natural drainage and raise flood risk
- Loss of vegetation reduces urban biodiversity
- Elevated NDBI can lead to diminished outdoor comfort and wellbeing
3. Water Index
The Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) captures the presence and extent of surface water bodies. Water features contribute to the visual appeal of urban spaces, but more importantly, they play a crucial role in thermal regulation and disaster risk management
- Surface water helps lower local temperatures and humidity extremes
- Enhances climate resilience by aiding in groundwater recharge
- Supports flood prevention by acting as a buffer during rainfall events
- Provides critical resources for domestic, industrial, and ecological use
- Persistent low NDWI may indicate water stress or poor management
4. Land Surface Temperature (LST)
Land Surface Temperature (LST) measures the actual heat radiating from urban surfaces like roads, rooftops, and pavements. It is a direct indicator of thermal comfort and public health risks. By mapping LST, it is possible to pinpoint the exact neighbourhoods most vulnerable to heat stress.
- High LST areas indicate zones vulnerable to heat stress
- LST data helps locate hotspots needing urban greening or cooling
- Supports assessment of urban heat island intensity and exposure
- Correlates with energy demand for cooling and public health risks
- Enables climate action planning, including reflective roofing or shading
5. Land Use / Land Cover (LULC)
LULC analysis outlines how different parts of a city are utilized and their physical characteristics. The balance between natural and artificial surfaces influences not just urban aesthetics but functional outcomes like mobility, safety, and flood management.
- Dense built-up zones increase run-off water during rainfall, increasing flood risk
- Mixed land uses can enhance accessibility and walkability
- Green and open lands act as buffers for air, noise, and heat pollution
- LULC helps estimate runoff coefficients and flood vulnerability
- Urban expansion over ecologically sensitive areas threatens sustainability
6. Air Quality Index (AQI)
AQI aggregates pollutant concentrations into an easy-to-understand scale that informs both risk and action. High AQI values indicate degraded air quality, which poses serious health risks and reduces outdoor comfort. These areas often correspond with high traffic density, industrial activity, or poor ventilation in dense urban zones. Monitoring AQI at a granular level allows city planners to identify pollution hotspots and implement timely interventions such as traffic regulation, green buffers, or stricter emissions controls.
- Poor AQI leads to respiratory and cardiovascular health issues
- High PM2.5 and PM10 levels increase long-term disease burden
- Polluted areas see a drop in real estate and rental values
- AQI data supports timely alerts and policy interventions
- Correlates with absenteeism, productivity loss, and healthcare costs
7. Population Density
Population density reflects the concentration of people in a defined urban area. While it enables efficient infrastructure usage, it also intensifies environmental stress. In densely populated neighborhoods, limited open space leads to reduced green spaces, which exacerbates heat retention and raises land surface temperatures. Crowded built-up areas often trap air pollutants, worsening local air quality. High occupancy also places pressure on existing water resources and drainage systems, increasing the risk of urban flooding and service disruption during peak demand.
- Increases demand for water, energy, and sanitation services
- High density areas generate more waste and emissions
- Can exacerbate heat island effect due to concentrated activity
- Strains public health systems and environmental infrastructure
- Reduces per capita access to green spaces and fresh air
Together, these indicators offer a comprehensive and multidimensional view of urban livability. Each parameter not only carries individual significance but also interacts closely with others, forming a complex and dynamic urban ecosystem.
For instance, an increase in built-up area, reflected through higher NDBI values, often leads to a reduction in green cover. This change contributes directly to elevated land surface temperatures (LST), intensifying the urban heat island effect and diminishing outdoor comfort. Similarly, a loss of green spaces not only impacts temperature regulation but also worsens air quality by reducing natural filtration of airborne pollutants, resulting in higher AQI levels. Densely populated areas with limited vegetation and poor ventilation are especially vulnerable, as pollution tends to concentrate in such environments.
Livability Index:
Color Coded Classification For Easy Visibility
The index is scored based on the livability rank assigned to each of the pixels, as per the performance of the indicators. They are classified into twenty equal score-based categories (for ease of understanding and visualization) and are represented by the shades of the following five colors (also shown in the image below):
- Very High: Shades of Blue (80-85%, 85-90%, 90-95%, 95-100%)
- High: Shades of Green (60-65%, 65-70%, 70-75%, 75-80%)
- Moderate: Shades of Yellow (40-45%, 45-50%, 50-55%, 55-60%)
- Low: Shades of Orange (20-25%, 25-30%, 30-35%, 35-40%)
- Very Low: Shades of Red (0-5%, 5-10%, 10-15%, 15-20%)
Example
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Environmental Livability Index
In this map, the city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is divided into administrative wards, each further segmented into multiple high-resolution pixels. Each pixel is color-coded based on its livability score, allowing for a granular visual representation of livability across the city. The colors reflect the relative performance of each area vis-a-vis livability index (which depends on multiple indicators, such as air quality, green cover, heat stress, etc)
This pixel-level segmentation empowers Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city authorities to uncover opportunities for improvement. It highlights not only broader ward-level trends but also specific areas where focused efforts can significantly enhance livability.
Addressing environmental disparities within a city requires a collective effort that brings together urban planners, policymakers, local authorities, and community stakeholders. By working in tandem, these actors can use the Environmental Livability Index as a common reference point to guide inclusive and data driven urban improvements.
For example, the index helps identify areas where targeted interventions such as expanding green cover, restoring water bodies, or enhancing air quality can have the greatest impact on community well being. This approach fosters a spirit of shared responsibility and continuous improvement, encouraging all stakeholders to collaborate toward building healthier, more resilient neighborhoods.
The livability index map thus serves as a powerful decision-support tool for targeted urban improvement, resource allocation, and climate-resilient planning.
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Conclusion
The livability of a city is intrinsically linked to its environmental quality. Clean air, balanced temperatures, access to green and blue spaces, and resilience against climate risks are not optional luxuries. They are fundamental to how environmentally friendly, healthy, and functional a city truly is. But beyond physical health, these environmental factors also shape emotional well being, reducing stress, improving mood, and fostering a deeper sense of happiness and belonging. Because in the end, this is the real comfort people strive for: to stay fit, healthy, and happy in the place they call home.
As Indian cities grow and compete to attract talent, investments, and global recognition, strategies that prioritize the environment are as much essential. The smart cities of the future must be designed not merely for convenience, but for long term sustainability and human well being in every sense.
Aurassure’s work on the Environmental Livability Index is a step in that direction. For governments and urban planners, the Environmental Livability Index provides one source of truth. It connects real time field data with neighborhood level insights to guide zoning, mobility plans, green cover strategy, and risk reduction. Our mission is to help shape cities that are both more livable in the present and thoroughly prepared for the future.
Author
Soham Roy
Designer
Soumyajyoti
Designer
Umesh
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