Transition Urban Infrastructure: Envisioning Systems for a Sustainable Future

Dear Colleagues,

Urban professionals are aware that the rapid urbanization of our planet is a fundamental phenomenon of our time, marking a critical transition, as over half of the World's population now resides in urban areas. This demographic shift brings about both significant opportunities and challenges, signaling an era of economic, cultural, and social transformation. Urban regions, the epicenters of human activity, are crucial to modern society, acting as commercial, innovative, and cultural hubs. However, their expansion and evolution bring about substantial environmental impacts, including high resource consumption, significant greenhouse gas emissions, and considerable waste generation. These issues, intensified by the pressing threat of climate change, result in the demand for an urgent and innovative overhaul of our urban infrastructure. This Special Issue, titled "Transitioning Urban Infrastructure Systems into a Sustainable Future”, addresses this urgent need. It represents a call to action for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to collaborate on sustainable, resilient urban development. This comprehensive initiative emphasizes rethinking urban spaces, focusing on sustainability, resilience, and adaptability in the face of environmental challenges and climate change. This Special Issue aims to inspire a paradigm shift in urban planning and management, promoting the development of urban environments that are not only sustainable and resilient but also vibrant and inclusive. By fostering an interdisciplinary dialogue, this Special Issue seeks to lead the way in transforming urban landscapes into sustainable ecosystems that enhance wellbeing and ensure the flourishing of future generations within our cities.

Introduction: 

The rapid urbanization of our planet stands as a defining phenomenon of our era. We find ourselves at the threshold of a new epoch, in which over half the global population resides within urban confines. This pivotal shift underlines stark challenges and expansive opportunities. The surge in urban population is not merely a demographic shift but a complex transformation that impacts every facet of modern life. This urban expansion heralds economic growth, cultural enrichment, and societal progress, promising a future of prosperity and diversity. However, it simultaneously presents intricate challenges that require immediate and inventive responses.

Urban centers, often regarded as the nexus of human activity, are vital to the fabric of contemporary society. These areas, bustling with life and activity, are not just commercial hotspots and innovation centers but also melting pots of cultural diversity. As urban areas swell and morph, they exert an immense pressure on natural resources, escalating the consumption of energy and water, and contributing significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. This growth also leads to substantial waste generation, posing serious environmental and health risks. The implications of these urban dynamics are far-reaching, particularly when viewed through the lens of climate change. The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related events, such as extreme weather, rising sea levels, and heatwaves, add another layer of complexity to urban living. This reality compels a critical reevaluation and restructuring of urban infrastructure, which must now cater to sustainability, resilience, and adaptability.

Scope and Topics: 

We invite submissions of original research articles, case studies, and reviews that address, but are not limited to, the following topics: 

• Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure: Innovative approaches to design, construction, and management of urban infrastructure that minimize resource consumption, improve efficiency, and reduce environmental footprints. 
• Resilience and Climate Adaptation: Strategies to enhance urban infrastructure resilience in the face of climate change, natural disasters, and other external pressures. 
• Urban Mobility and Transportation: Sustainable transportation systems, including public transport, alternative fuels, and transportation planning that reduce congestion and emissions. 
• Green Building and Urban Design: Sustainable architecture, building materials, and urban planning practices that promote energy efficiency, green spaces, and livability. 
• Infrastructure Financing and Policy: Studies on funding mechanisms, public–private partnerships, and policy frameworks that support sustainable urban infrastructure development. 
• Technological Advancements: Emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, Digital Twin, Big Data, and data analytics that optimize infrastructure performance and resource allocation. 

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue, which will contribute to the discourse on transitioning urban infrastructure systems into a sustainable and resilient future. Together, we can forge a path towards urban environments that are not only thriving centers of activity but also beacons of sustainability and resilience for generations to come.

Dr. Arezou Shafaghat
Dr. Ali Keyvanfar
Dr. Dilshan Remaz Ossen
Dr. Parth Bhavsar
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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.

• smart urbanization
• urban mobility
• infrastructure resilience
• environmental impact
• climate change adaptation
• innovative urban planning