Land Dynamics in the Urbanization Process: Climate Change, Economic Transitions, and Demographic Shifts

Dear Colleagues,

As the rate of urbanization accelerates worldwide, it reshapes landscapes, societies, and economies. This Special Issue invites contributions that explore how land dynamics are influenced by urban expansion, climate change, economic restructuring, and demographic shifts. As cities evolve, they face increasing pressures from environmental degradation, socioeconomic inequality, and population displacement, creating complex land use challenges that require interdisciplinary understanding and policy innovation.

The goal of this Special Issue is to showcase papers (original research articles and review papers) that provide insights into the spatial, environmental, and socio-economic dynamics driving land transformations in the context of contemporary urbanization. Specifically, the collection seeks to enhance understanding of how land systems respond to the compounded effects of climate change, economic transitions (such as post-industrial restructuring or shifts toward low-carbon economies), and demographic pressures, including migration, urban sprawl, and population aging. Emphasis is placed on studies employing spatial modeling, geostatistical analysis, remote sensing, GIS-based land use change detection, and integrated assessment frameworks. Contributions that explore feedback loops between land degradation, ecosystem sensitivity, and urban form are also particularly encouraged, as are papers that connect empirical evidence to planning strategies and policy design for sustainable land governance under conditions of environmental and socio-economic stress.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

1. Urban Land Degradation;
2. Ecosystem Resilience;
3. Soil Erosion and Urban Expansion;
4. Urban Heat Island Effect;
5. Sustainable Urban Planning;
6. Remote Sensing for Urban Analysis;
7. Anthropogenic Pressure;
8. Digital Cartographic and AI Tools;
9. Climate Change and Urban Settlements;
10. Spatial Analysis of Ecosystem Vulnerability.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Sorin Avram
Dr. Luminiţa Chivu
Dr. Irina Ontel
Dr. Sanda Roșca
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.

• urbanization
• land use change
• climate change impact
• economic restructuring
• demographic shifts
• land degradation
• ecosystem vulnerability
• spatial analysis
• urban land governance
• ai use in remote sensing and GIS