Latest Review Papers in Sustainability in Sustainable Urban and Rural Development

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable development across urban and rural areas is essential for addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, socio-economic inequalities, and rapid demographic and spatial transformations. Cities and rural regions are increasingly interdependent through flows of resources, ecosystem services, infrastructure, finance, and human capital, requiring integrated approaches that promote balanced, resilient, and inclusive territorial development.

This Special Issue aims to provide comprehensive review papers that synthesize recent advances and emerging research directions in sustainable urban and rural development. Particular emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary frameworks that combine spatial planning, nature-based solutions, sustainable infrastructure, circular economy practices, and digital innovation with governance mechanisms and policy design that support effective implementation. The issue also highlights the importance of explicit transition plans supported by sustainable investment portfolios and blended finance mechanisms capable of mobilizing both public and private capital.

Contributions addressing the different structural challenges faced by developed and developing countries are especially encouraged. By linking scientific evidence with policy and financing strategies, this Special Issue seeks to support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to inform future research, planning, and investment decisions for resilient and sustainable territories.

It is our pleasure to announce a new Special Issue, titled “Latest Review Papers in Sustainability in Sustainable Urban and Rural Development”, to be published in Sustainability. Advancing sustainable development across both urban and rural areas constitutes one of the most pressing global challenges of the twenty-first century. Rapid urbanization, climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and widening socio-economic disparities are reshaping territorial systems worldwide. These interconnected pressures highlight the urgent need for integrated, science-based strategies capable of guiding the transformation of cities, regions, and rural landscapes toward resilient, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable futures.

Urban and rural systems are deeply interdependent through flows of energy, food, water, ecosystem services, infrastructure, finance, and human capital. Sustainable development therefore requires holistic frameworks that transcend traditional sectoral and spatial boundaries. Effective transitions must combine spatial planning, nature-based solutions, circular economy models, sustainable infrastructure, digital innovation, and participatory governance. At the same time, achieving climate neutrality and long-term resilience requires explicit, evidence-based transition plans, supported by coherent investment portfolios and financing mechanisms, including blended finance approaches that mobilize both public and private capital.

A key dimension of this transition concerns the significant differences in capacities, vulnerabilities, and development priorities between developed and developing countries. While advanced economies face the challenge of transforming mature infrastructure systems and consumption patterns toward climate neutrality and circularity, developing regions often confront rapid urban expansion, infrastructure deficits, rural marginalization, and heightened climate vulnerability. Addressing these asymmetries requires context-specific strategies, international cooperation, and financing mechanisms capable of accelerating sustainable development pathways while ensuring equity and social inclusion.

This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality review papers that provide critical and comprehensive syntheses of recent advances, emerging research trends, and future directions in sustainable urban and rural development. Contributions are encouraged to examine integrated policy frameworks, governance mechanisms, financing models, and technological innovations that support the sustainable transformation of territories. Particular emphasis is placed on approaches that combine scientific evidence, policy design, and investment strategies capable of translating sustainability goals into implementable development pathways.

The scope of this Special Issue is closely aligned with the objectives of Sustainability and with the global agenda defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Interdisciplinary contributions are especially welcome, integrating environmental, economic, social, technological, and institutional dimensions of development. By synthesizing the state of the art and identifying key knowledge gaps, this Special Issue seeks to contribute to the advancement of global research and policy debates on sustainable territorial transformation.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to foster a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the strategies, tools, and governance mechanisms required to guide sustainable urban and rural development. By bringing together leading perspectives from across disciplines and geographic contexts, the issue seeks to support the dissemination of cutting-edge knowledge capable of informing future research agendas, policy frameworks, and investment strategies for resilient and sustainable territories worldwide.

We invite critical review papers on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Integrated urban–rural development strategies and territorial cohesion;
• Sustainable urban planning, regional planning, and spatial governance;
• Rural sustainability, rural revitalization, and sustainable regional economies;
• Climate-neutral cities and climate-resilient rural landscapes;
• Nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation in urban and rural contexts;
• Sustainable land-use planning and biodiversity conservation;
• Circular economy models and sustainable resource management across territories;
• Sustainable mobility and infrastructure for urban–rural connectivity;
• Food systems, agriculture, and sustainable rural development pathways;
• Digital innovation, data governance, and smart solutions for territorial sustainability;
• Blended finance mechanisms, sustainable investment portfolios, and financing strategies for sustainable development;
• Governance frameworks, policy coherence, and multi-level institutional coordination;
• Comparative approaches to sustainable development challenges in developed and developing countries.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and advancing global dialogue on sustainable territorial development. 

Prof. Dr. Phoebe Koundouri
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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.