Urban Microclimates: Monitoring, Mitigation and Adaptation
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Forestry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: land surface temperature; surface urban heat island; remote sensing; heat mitigation; urban climate; heat index; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: meteorology; climatology; climate change; climatic time series analysis; urban climate; Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL); atmospheric circulation; turbulent wind flow; wind flow modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The constant rise in global temperatures, with a greater impact on urban areas, intensified by climate change and accelerated urbanization, has transformed the urban heat island effect and heat waves into one of the main environmental and social challenges facing contemporary cities. In this context, urban forest parks and green spaces are emerging as strategic infrastructure capable of regulating urban microclimates, mitigating heat stress, and improving the livability of public spaces. However, significant gaps in knowledge remain regarding the quantification of their effects, their thermal regulation mechanisms, and their effective integration into urban planning and climate adaptation strategies.
This Special Issue aims to bring together new trends and research that address the role of forest parks and other nature-based solutions in regulating the urban heat island effect from multi-scalar and interdisciplinary perspectives. Contributions integrating remote sensing, microclimate modeling, biometeorological indicators, social vulnerability analysis, and urban planning studies are encouraged, with a particular focus on passive design strategies, climate resilience, and social equity. Studies exploring the relationship between urban microclimates, human well-being, and socio-spatial inequalities, and the differential impact of green solutions in various climatic and urban contexts, are also valued.
Overall, this Special Issue aims to advance the scientific and applied understanding of how urban forest parks can contribute to the development of more resilient, sustainable, and socially just cities in the face of global and urban warming. The selected works aspire to offer solid evidence and operational recommendations to support decision-making in urban planning, environmental design, and public policies aimed at climate change adaptation and improving the quality of life in cities.
Dr. David Hidalgo García
Dr. Dimitra Founda
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- resilient city
- climate change
- urban planning and sustainability
- passive cooling design
- urban heat islands and heat waves
- urban microclimates and vulnerability
- microclimates and social equity
- forest parks
- mitigation and resilience
- green/blue strategies
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