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Land
Special Issues
Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories
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Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 10878

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Tomáš Peráček

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Management, Comenius University Bratislava, Odbojarov 10, 820 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
Interests: law; management; public administration; smart cities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Mária Srebalová

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Administrative Law and Environmental Law, Faculty of Law, Comenius University Bratislava, Šafárikovo námestie 6, 810 00 Bratislava, Slovakia
Interests: law; public administration
Dr. Andrea Čajková

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Public Administration, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Bucianska 4/A, 917 01 Trnava, Slovakia
Interests: public policy; public administration; management; smart cities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The concept of smart cities represents a comprehensive approach to the functioning of urban regions and affects various areas such as culture, infrastructure, the environment, energy, and social services. Each of these areas strives to achieve multiple interconnected goals that, together, create a system based on the principles of sustainable development. This system consists of public administration, the private sector, and civil society entities, all of which are essential to achieving these goals. Due to its complexity, there is no international legally binding definition or precise legal framework for the smart city concept. Individual states follow their own "smart" concepts and methodologies, aligned with global documents addressing these issues. The complexity of the smart city concept, combined with complicated urban problems and the pursuit of sustainable solutions, presents a significant challenge. Therefore, smart city policies must strategically focus on a smart economy, a smart environment, smart governance, smart housing, smart mobility, and smart people. These strategies should also include institutional changes to provide context-sensitive outcomes in local urban areas, potentially shifting to a bottom-up, community-based approach rather than one initiated by institutions and industries.

In this Special Issue, we aim to publish innovative multidisciplinary work on current trends and perspectives in strategic management, innovation implementation, working models, and best practices that could improve the environment, economy, and social well-being in smart cities and territories. We are particularly interested in advances in governance models, simulation methods and data analysis, forecasting techniques, scenario planning, future designs, and complex system models that could contribute to improving critical thinking and decision making in urban and territorial resilience and sustainable development. Smart cities are more efficient, provide more opportunities for job creation, and ensure growth while also improving the social inclusion and engagement of residents. Enhancing the functionality, long-term sustainability, and standard of living for residents in smart cities can be achieved through the creation of effective, targeted, and sustainable smart city strategies.

Potential topics can include the following:

  • Multi-scale planning and design;
  • Land planning methods, including participatory planning, ecosystem-based planning, collaborative planning, integrated planning, strategic planning, sustainable planning, smart planning, territorial ecological planning, etc.;
  • Planning theory and planning policy related to land;
  • Digital landscape architecture;
  • Urban and regional development related to land, land use and land use change, and disaster risk assessment/management/reduction;
  • Climate resilience;
  • Nature-based solutions;
  • Green/blue/gray/brown infrastructure;
  • Landscape protection/management/restoration.

Land planning and landscape architecture pertaining to the following:

  • Smart cities;
  • Ecosystem services;
  • Human health and well-being;
  • Biodiversity education;
  • GIS, remote sensing, drones, sensors, big data, AI, VR, BIM, IoT, and other advanced technologies;
  • Social/spatial/environmental/distributional/procedural justice;
  • Transport heritage;
  • Real estate;
  • Energy transition.

Manuscripts may be of a conceptual–theoretical nature and can be a demonstration of successful cases and applied research. We also welcome short communications on design projects. Inter- and transdisciplinary manuscripts are highly encouraged, as are proposals for relevant Special Issues.

We are particularly interested in submissions relating to the design of healthier, greener cities that will ensure healthy living and promote well-being for all people; contributions aimed at making landscapes inclusive and safe; and manuscripts that demonstrate the design of sustainable landscapes with the aim to strengthen their resilience and adaptive capacity to withstand climate-related hazards and natural disasters.

Prof. Dr. Tomáš Peráček
Prof. Dr. Mária Srebalová
Dr. Andrea Čajková
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Land 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

  • multi-scale planning and design
  • land planning methods, including participatory planning, ecosystem-based planning, collaborative planning, integrated planning, strategic planning, sustainable planning, smart planning, territorial ecological planning, etc.
  • planning theory and planning policy related to land
  • digital landscape architecture
  • urban and regional development related to land, land use and land use change, and disaster risk assessment/management/reduction
  • climate resilience
  • nature-based solutions
  • green/blue/gray/brown infrastructure
  • landscape protection/management/restoration
  • smart cities
  • ecosystem services
  • human health and well-being
  • biodiversity education
  • GIS, remote sensing, drones, sensors, big data, AI, VR, BIM, IoT, and other advanced technologies
  • social/spatial/environmental/distributional/procedural justice
  • transport heritage
  • real estate
  • energy transition

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

40 pages, 1564 KiB  
Article
Legal Easements as Enablers of Sustainable Land Use and Infrastructure Development in Smart Cities
by Tomáš Peráček and Michal Kaššaj
Land 2025, 14(4), 681; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040681 - 23 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 540
Abstract
The issue of legal easements is a relatively rarely discussed topic among the professional public, and yet, even today, legal easements create space for the development of smart cities. Legal easements are restrictions on property rights that arise directly from the law, which [...] Read more.
The issue of legal easements is a relatively rarely discussed topic among the professional public, and yet, even today, legal easements create space for the development of smart cities. Legal easements are restrictions on property rights that arise directly from the law, which means that the possible disagreement of the owner of the property concerned is irrelevant. The aim of this scientific study is to provide, based on a study of legislation, case law, and professional and scientific articles, sufficient information on this legal institution, which has its basis in the Civil Code. The scientific study also examines in detail the issue of legal easements and their role in the context of sustainable land use and infrastructure development in smart cities. In the study, we test the stated hypothesis that “Legal easements, as a legal instrument, effectively promote sustainable land use and infrastructure development in smart cities by enabling the integration of renewable energy, eco-mobility and green infrastructure without negatively impacting property rights, thus contributing to reducing conflicts between private property and public interest”. We use a number of scientific methods of research to analyse the current legal situation and the possibilities for the application of legal easements in the context of smart cities, including legal analysis, the comparative method, the method of synthesis, deduction, and historical interpretation. In particular, the methods in question were used to examine, historically describe and compare the current legislation on easements and their use in the management of urban space and infrastructure. The main results of the research include a detailed overview of the current legal status of easements and their limitations, which affect the possibilities of their application in the conditions of smart cities. The results suggest that if easements are effectively implemented they can make a significant contribution to optimising space, regulating access to public services, and protecting natural resources. This tool has the potential to enhance the quality of life in cities and promote sustainable urbanism through adaptive planning and management of urban space. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories)
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19 pages, 278 KiB  
Article
Transformation of Settlement Structures in Europe: Trends, Challenges, and Reform Approaches
by Jiří Dušek
Land 2025, 14(1), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010167 - 15 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2034
Abstract
Changes in the number of municipalities and their administrative organization represent one of the central themes of European public administration, reflecting historical context, demographic changes, economic pressures, and technological progress. The aim of this study is to analyse approaches to the merging and [...] Read more.
Changes in the number of municipalities and their administrative organization represent one of the central themes of European public administration, reflecting historical context, demographic changes, economic pressures, and technological progress. The aim of this study is to analyse approaches to the merging and division of municipalities in selected European states and to identify factors influencing the success of these reforms. The research uses a combination of comparative analyses of legislative frameworks, socio-economic conditions, and case studies and works with data from official statistics, scholarly literature, and reports on the implementation of reforms. The main findings show that some states, such as Denmark, achieve significant improvements in efficiency through the merging of municipalities, while others, such as France, prefer the preservation of smaller municipalities in order to maintain local identity and community ties. Reform processes often face cultural and political obstacles, and their success depends on a combination of voluntary approaches, financial incentives, and effective communication with the public. The study concludes that the key to effective governance is the balance between the need to optimize public services and the preservation of local specificities. These findings provide important guidance for further reform processes in the European context and can contribute to the sustainable development of regions as well as to the greater satisfaction of the population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories)
22 pages, 4071 KiB  
Article
Assessing Urban Vulnerability to Emergencies: A Spatiotemporal Approach Using K-Means Clustering
by Ibrahim Mutambik
Land 2024, 13(11), 1744; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13111744 - 24 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1201
Abstract
Today, urban areas across the world are increasingly vulnerable to emergencies due to expanding populations and the impact of climate change. This paper presents a data-driven method for assessing the susceptibility of urban regions to emergencies, using publicly available data and a clustering-based [...] Read more.
Today, urban areas across the world are increasingly vulnerable to emergencies due to expanding populations and the impact of climate change. This paper presents a data-driven method for assessing the susceptibility of urban regions to emergencies, using publicly available data and a clustering-based algorithm. The study incorporates both spatial and temporal dynamics, capturing the fluctuating nature of urban infrastructure and patterns of human movement over time. By introducing the notion of Points of Temporal Influence (PTIs) and a new “susceptibility level” parameter, the proposed model offers an innovative approach to understanding urban susceptibility. Experiments conducted in London, the UK, demonstrated the effectiveness of the Spatiotemporal K-means Clustering algorithm in identifying areas with heightened time-sensitive susceptibility. The findings highlight the value of incorporating both spatial and temporal data to enhance emergency response strategies and optimize urban planning efforts. This study contributes to the literature on smart cities by providing a scalable and adaptable method for improving urban resilience in the face of evolving challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories)
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28 pages, 2758 KiB  
Article
The Sustainability of Smart Cities: Improving Evaluation by Combining MCDA and PROMETHEE
by Ibrahim Mutambik
Land 2024, 13(9), 1471; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091471 - 11 Sep 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1622
Abstract
Evaluating the sustainability of smart cities is crucial for promoting sustainable development. Traditionally, this evaluation process has traditionally been carried out using the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis approach. However, this approach relies upon a unified input dataset, which can lead to oversimplification, particularly in [...] Read more.
Evaluating the sustainability of smart cities is crucial for promoting sustainable development. Traditionally, this evaluation process has traditionally been carried out using the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis approach. However, this approach relies upon a unified input dataset, which can lead to oversimplification, particularly in the context of sustainability. Further, the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis approach does not take account of how sustainability evolves over time. This paper introduces a time-based sustainability assessment technique that combines the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis approach with an established method of assessing performance variability, recognized as the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations. The resulting framework, called Enhanced Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations, was used to evaluate the sustainability of smart cities and communities across the G20 countries, based on aggregated data, individual sustainability dimensions, and scenarios. The results demonstrate the effectiveness, relevance, and applicability of the new approach, which provides a significant advance in the field of sustainable city evaluation by facilitating multi-period evaluations of sustainable cities and enabling multi-perspective evaluations of sustainability assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories)
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