Outdoor Thermal Comfort Evaluation in an Urbanized Context in the Mediterranean Area

European cities are facing the negative impacts of climate change, among which the urban heat island (UHI) effect plays a significant role. The adoption of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), both at the urban and building levels, is one of the possible strategies for increasing the sustainability of cities, recovering degraded areas, and helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. The paper is part of a research project that aims to assess the benefits of integrating NBS, and green infras-tructure in particular, into urban contexts (existing buildings and surrounding spaces) in the Mediterranean area. The most suitable greening strategies for improving urban quality, microclimate, and residents’ well-being were evaluated for a case study: a social housing in Catania, southern Italy. Three different scenarios were hypothe-sized: application of green facades on the exterior walls of the building; enhancement of urban greenery and permeable surfaces; and combination of the two scenarios. The improvement in outdoor comfort was assessed using fluid dynamics simula-tion software. The results show that green facades have little influence on outdoor comfort, while the benefits of increasing greenery in the surrounding areas are more evident. Above all, there is a clear synergy between the two greening strategies, which amplifies the results of each strategy considered individually.