Green architecture for urban futures: Elevating resilience through sustainable building practices

Cities face accelerating climate and urbanization pressures, yet evidence on how green architecture jointly delivers resilience, efficiency, and equity remains fragmented across design, technology, economics, and policy. This study addresses that gap by synthesizing recent practice and research to (i) integrate performance outcomes for energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and carbon; (ii) assess techno-economic feasibility across common measures; and (iii) clarify policy and governance levers, including equity considerations. A transparent methodology underpins the analysis, with explicit case-selection criteria, a coded indicator set, and a comparative synthesis across climatic and typological contexts. The findings show that first-line measures such as high-performance envelopes, LED lighting, and advanced controls provide consistently robust energy gains, while strategies such as green roofs, greywater reuse, and building-integrated photovoltaics are strongly context dependent and policy sensitive. The evidence further indicates that many interventions achieve attractive payback periods when evaluated on a life-cycle basis, especially under supportive tariffs and incentives, and that co-benefits for occupant health and comfort are substantial when indoor environmental quality is explicitly targeted. The paper contributes an evidence-graded, methods-traceable framework that links technical choices to economic outcomes and governance pathways, and it outlines a practical agenda for future primary data collection and longitudinal post-occupancy evaluation. The results position green architecture as a transferable, outcome-oriented pathway for resilient, low-carbon, and equitable urban futures. • Green practices enhance urban resilience against climate threats. • Case studies show diverse benefits of sustainable urban design. • Interdisciplinary research drives green building innovation. • Community engagement vital for sustainable urban development. • Future green buildings to integrate advanced sustainable technologies.