Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation and Thermal Comfort in Buildings and Urban Spaces

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will focus on the critical role of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in enhancing thermal comfort as a key strategy for climate change adaptation. Our main focus is to investigate and quantify how NbS improve thermal conditions at two distinct scales: within buildings (indoor) and in the adjacent urban environment (outdoor). The scope of this Special Issue is specifically structured to cover this dual perspective.

We invite contributions that analyze indoor thermal comfort, exploring how building-integrated NbS (such as green roofs, living walls, and green facades) directly impact building performance by reducing cooling loads, modulating indoor temperatures, and enhancing occupant well-being. Simultaneously, the scope covers outdoor thermal comfort, including studies on how NbS that are applied to buildings and their immediate surroundings (such as vegetated surfaces, street trees, and blue infrastructure) improve microclimatic conditions in urban canyons, courtyards, and public spaces through shading, evapotranspiration, and improved airflow. Our purpose is to create a comprehensive collection of research that bridges building science with urban climatology, providing robust, evidence-based insights into designing more thermally resilient buildings and cities.

While extensive research exists on building energy performance and urban heat islands, this Special Issue aims to fill a significant gap by explicitly linking these two scales through the common lens of NbS. It will supplement the existing literature by moving beyond isolated analyses and fostering an integrated understanding of how design choices radiate outward to affect the building environment (and vice versa). By prioritizing studies that present quantified data on thermal comfort improvements, both for building occupants and for pedestrians in surrounding spaces, this Special Issue will connect building-scale engineering solutions with broader urban sustainability goals—a connection that is often overlooked.

This Special Issue directly aligns with the mission of Sustainability by addressing critical challenges for resilient urban development. The research presented will provide methods to quantify and monitor the effectiveness of NbS as sustainability tools for thermal regulation. This directly contributes to key UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by reducing heat stress, SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) by lowering energy demand for cooling, and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by creating more livable and climate-resilient urban habitats. By showcasing integrated, scientific approaches, this Special Issue will inform improved policy and design practices that leverage nature to enhance socio-economic well-being and build a sustainable future.

Dr. Daniel Sánchez-García
Dr. Alberto Cerezo Narváez
Dr. MªCarmen Guerrero Delgado
Prof. Dr. Shady Attia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

• thermal comfort
• climate change adaptation
• nature-based solutions
• urban heat island
• passive cooling
• building energy performance