Challenges and Future Trends of Sustainable Urban Development and Transition
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 February 2026 | Viewed by 2823
Special Issue Editors
Interests: urban and regional planning; industrial ecology; sustainability science; sustainable behavior; social system
Interests: urban ecology; industrial ecology; climate change; resource management; environmental policy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
With the acceleration of global urbanisation, urban areas have become major sites for human activities and resource use. However, urban development also faces many challenges, including population growth, environmental pollution, resource scarcity, and social inequality. In particular, driven by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is widespread public awareness of the potentially catastrophic and irreversible social and environmental impacts of urban development, making sustainable urban transition a policy priority and an increasingly challenging management task. An in-depth discussion of the challenges and future trends in urban transition and sustainable development is therefore necessary and may contribute to long-term environmental and social sustainability. However, achieving urban sustainability can be seen as a thorny issue: there is no right or wrong solution, the needs are constantly changing, complex interdependencies come into play [1], there is little opportunity for learning through iterative experimentation, and each implemented solution requires significant investment and entails high risk, resulting in an urban transformation process characterised by challenges and uncertainty [2,3].
Against this backdrop, this Special Issue aims to delve into all aspects of sustainable urban development, exploring its problems and challenges from a variety of perspectives, including urban planning, resource management, social equity, science, technology, and innovation, and seeking solutions to drive urban development in a more sustainable, liveable, and prosperous direction. The research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- sustainable urban planning and design;
- innovations in urban mobility and transport;
- urban resource management and circular economy;
- social inclusion and urban equity;
- application of new technologies in urban development;
- urban climate change adaptation and mitigation;
- urban ecosystems and green infrastructure;
- urban health and well-being;
- urban governance and participatory decision making.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
References:
1. Ernst, L.; Dinther, R.d.G.-V.; Peek, G.; Loorbach, D. Sustainable urban transformation and sustainability transitions; conceptual framework and case study. J. Clean. Prod. 2016, 112, 2988–2999, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.10.136.
2. Næss, P.; Vogel, N. Sustainable urban development and the multi-level transition perspective. Environ. Innov. Soc. Transitions 2012, 4, 36–50, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2012.07.001.
3. Greene, M.; Mora, R.I.; Figueroa, C.; Waintrub, N.; Ortúzar, J.d.D. Towards a sustainable city: Applying urban renewal incentives according to the social and urban characteristics of the area. Habitat Int. 2017, 68, 15–23, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2017.03.004.
Prof. Dr. Xuepeng Qian
Prof. Dr. Ji Han
Dr. Liang Peng
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- sustainability goals
- urban planning
- transport innovation
- resource management
- urban ecosystems
- urban governance
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