Cities and Resource Governance in the Age of Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

Cities are complex socio-environmental systems where patterns of production, consumption, and governance determine how resources are used, distributed, and renewed—in the age of sustainability, the challenge of balancing environmental integrity, social equity, and economic viability has become central to shaping resilient urban futures. This Special Issue, “Cities and Resource Governance in the Age of Sustainability”, will explore how governance frameworks, circular strategies, and sustainability transitions can collectively transform cities into models of responsible resource management and adaptive resilience. We invite theoretical, empirical, and policy-oriented contributions that examine how natural and material resources—such as water, energy, land, waste, and green infrastructure—are governed and managed within cities. Of particular interest are studies linking circular economy principles, participatory governance, and multi-level institutional design to resource efficiency, low-carbon transitions, and inclusive policy innovation. Contributions may include conceptual advances, comparative analyses, or case studies that demonstrate how governance innovation supports sustainable and equitable city transformations.

This Special Issue aims to foster dialogue between sustainability science, environmental governance, and urban policy. We welcome interdisciplinary and cross-regional perspectives that illuminate how cities can act as catalysts for sustainable resource governance in an era defined by systemic environmental and societal change.

Contributions to this Special Issue in the form of original research articles and reviews are welcome, and research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Governance models for sustainable resource management in cities;
• Integrating circular economy principles into urban policy and planning;
• Institutional innovations for energy and water transition management;
• Digital and data-driven approaches to city resource governance;
• Cross-sectoral collaboration for sustainable infrastructure systems;
• Participatory decision-making and citizen engagement in resource governance;
• Policy coherence and multi-level governance in sustainability transitions;
• Financing mechanisms for low-carbon and circular city initiatives;
• Measuring and monitoring resource efficiency in urban systems;
• Social equity and just transition considerations in city sustainability;
• Waste reduction, recycling, and material flow governance;
• The role of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions in resource planning;
• Comparative case studies on sustainable city governance frameworks;
• Climate adaptation and resilience strategies for resource-constrained cities;
• Linking sustainable resource governance to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

I look forward to receiving your contributions.   

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe T. Cirella
Guest Editor

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.

• circular economy
• city governance
• climate adaptation
• energy transitions
• environmental policy
• green infrastructure
• participatory decision-making
• resource efficiency
• resource management
• smart cities
• social equity
• sustainability transitions
• sustainable development
• urban resilience
• water and waste management