Ecosystem Services for Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Planning
A Special Issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X) belonging to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 671
Editors
Interests: urban regeneration; local development; public-private partnership; urban-rural links; spatial planning; urban planning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: data-driven approach; ecosystem services; land use; community-based urban development; urban accessibility; spatial analysis; innovation flows; urban transition; urban regeneration
Interests: urban and territorial planning; urban regeneration; public space and cultural heritage; public city and urban well-being; territorial government tools and policies; local plan and ecological transition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: sustainable urban design and development; water management; water energy and food nexus; the use of natural-based solutions for water treatment; climate-resilient urban design; urban environmental governance
Interests: innovation ecosystems; urban and regional development; smart cities; regional innovation systems; environmental sustainability; urban ecology; participatory planning
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Urban areas are facing complex challenges arising from rapid urbanization, climate change, social inequalities, and the loss of natural habitats. The need to incorporate ecosystem services within urban planning has become more important to support environmental sustainability and ensure equitable living.
While ecosystem services like climate regulation, water management, and green infrastructure provision are widely recognized as key components of sustainable urban development, their benefits are often unevenly distributed across cities. This can reinforce existing socio-spatial inequalities and intersect with pressing challenges such as energy poverty and climate vulnerability. Advancing this research area is therefore necessary for developing cities that are livable and ecologically sound and also socially just and inclusive.
The goal of this Special Issue is to collect original research articles and review papers that advance knowledge on how ecosystem services can be assessed, planned, and integrated into sustainable and resilient urban development, with particular attention to policy and planning practices.
This Special Issue welcomes manuscripts addressing the following themes or other topics that align with and contribute to them:
- Practical tools for assessing and mapping urban ecosystem services and identifying spatial and social gaps in access.
- Approaches for integrating the concept of ecosystem services into urban practices.
- Equitable access to critical ecosystem services and their role in addressing social vulnerability and urban well-being.
- Connections between ecosystem service provision, climate adaptation, and energy poverty in cities.
- Governance and cohesion policies to promote equitable ecosystem service planning at the local level.
- Land-use change and its impacts on urban biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and social equity.
We invite contributions that offer conceptual clarity, solid evidence, and practical insights into how ecosystem services can help shape more sustainable, resilient, and equitable urban environments.
Dr. Carmelina Bevilacqua
Dr. Nourhan Hamdy
Prof. Dr. Laura Ricci
Dr. Zeina ElZein
Dr. Christina Kakderi
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-anonymized 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
- urban ecosystem services
- sustainable urban planning
- urban resilience
- ecosystem service assessment
- social equity
- climate adaptation
- nature-based solutions
- urban governance
- land-use change
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.
