Smart Green Infrastructure: Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Urban Spatial Planning and Resilient Cities
A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editors
Interests: land management; property valuation; cadastre; land administration; GIS; SDI
Interests: land consolidation; land fragmentation; GIS; rural development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: land administration; land administration systems; cadastre; processes; standardization; LADM
Interests: theory of cultural landscape; inventory, analysis, and evaluation of rural landscapes; research on the dry-stone Mediterranean landscape; landscape typology and landscape baselines; landscape policies/legislation; green infrastructure in urban and rural areas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: geospatial AI; GIS; machine learning in GIS; multi-criteria analysis; sustainable land management; urban green infrastructure
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Urban areas face challenges such as rapid population growth, climate change, and unsustainable land use, and, in order to address these complexities, this Special Issue explores the convergence of green infrastructure, spatial data, and innovative technologies as key enablers of resilient and smart urban development. Central to this discourse is the integration of green infrastructure with spatial data infrastructures (SDIs), offering a sustainable planning approach which enhances ecosystem services, mitigates urban heat, and supports disaster resilience.
Comprehensive land management is fundamental for smart urban growth, requiring adaptive frameworks that align land use planning with technological innovation. Integrated land administration systems (LASs) play a critical role in this process by ensuring secure tenure, informed decision-making, and equitable access to land. When embedded with spatial intelligence, LASs evolve into strategic tools for fostering climate-resilient and inclusive cities.
Advancements in big geospatial data and AI-driven analytics further empower urban land management since these technologies provide deeper insights into land value, risk zones, and development potential, enabling data-informed decisions that balance economic, social, and environmental priorities. The fusion of remote sensing technologies with geospatial platforms also delivers real-time environmental monitoring, enhancing our understanding of urban ecosystems and land dynamics, especially in urban areas.
In support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), the role of land information systems becomes increasingly vital. Leveraging these systems allows for transparent, participatory, and efficient urban governance.
This Special Issue aims to gather together and disseminate cutting-edge research, case studies, and policy perspectives that highlight how digital land management, spatial data integration, and green infrastructure planning collectively advance urban resilience and sustainability. By bridging land administration with smart technologies, the contributions herein offer a transformative vision for future-ready cities.
This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:
- Integrating green infrastructure and spatial data for resilient cities;
- Comprehensive land management for smart urban growth;
- Integrated land administration for resilient cities;
- Spatial data infrastructures enabling smart green planning;
- Big geospatial data for urban land governance;
- AI-driven land valuation and spatial decision-making;
- Combining remote sensing technologies for urban environmental insights;
- Leveraging land information systems to achieve the SDGs in cities.
We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.
Dr. Hrvoje Tomić
Prof. Dr. Jaroslaw Janus
Dr. Josip Križanović
Dr. Goran Andlar
Dr. Samanta Bačić
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
- land administration
- green infrastructure
- spatial data infrastructure
- sustainable development goals
- resilient cities
- urban growth
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- 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.
