Advancing Sustainable Urban Planning and Development Through Place-Based Decision-Support Tools and Digital Twins

Dear Colleagues,

Communities increasingly face complex challenges in advancing sustainable urban planning and development. However, the availability, accessibility and usability of relevant data and planning evidence vary widely across contexts. In some places, decision-makers face limited or uneven data; in others, they must navigate fragmented information. Both cases limit the capacity of decision-makers to identify priorities, evaluate trade-offs and implement effective sustainability strategies. While the existing literature has explored individual tools such as dashboards, indicators and digital twins, less attention has been paid to how these approaches support urban planning and decision-making across real-world place-based governance contexts.

This Special Issue aims to examine how decision-support approaches, including dashboards, digital twins and related platforms or frameworks, can enhance place-based decision-making for sustainable urban planning and development across different scales. It welcomes empirical applications, methodological innovations and governance frameworks that translate data and planning evidence into actionable knowledge. Particular attention will be given to how such systems support policy development, resource allocation and stakeholder engagement in areas such as climate, mobility, land use, resilience, housing and community development. By bridging analytical tools with urban planning and decision-making processes, this issue contributes to advancing practical tools and integrated strategies for sustainable community development.

Prof. Dr. Mark Roseland
Guest Editor

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