Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.7
3.3
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Sustainable Urban Planning Models and Effective Management Tools in Resilient...
sustainability-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Sustainable Urban Planning Models and Effective Management Tools in Resilient Low-Carbon Cities: Issues, Methods and Innovations—2nd Edition

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 7162

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Felicia Di Liddo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry (DICATECh), Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: real estate evaluation methods; real estate financial and economic convenience; sustainability; urban regeneration; retrofit intervention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Pierluigi Morano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: real estate valuation; urban development; valuation risk; analysis investment; valuation property; management asset; housing economics; project financing; urban economics; financial analysis; real estate management; project management; applied econometrics; environmental economics; urban sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Francesco Tajani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture and Design, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Flaminia 359, 00196 Rome, Italy
Interests: property valuation; mass appraisal; urban economics; risk analysis; engineering economics; financial sustainability; decision support systems; sustainable urban development; life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Paola Amoruso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University LUM “G. Degennaro”, Casamassima, Italy
Interests: real estate evaluation; urban regeneration; retrofit initiatives; real estate sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Decarbonization is one of the most relevant topics within the construction and urban planning sectors; it also aligns with the environmental strategies of many European Union countries and the accepted sustainable development goals.

In order to completely transform the global energy system, a progressive transition from fossil energy sources to zero-carbon alternatives is crucial, starting from transportation and heavy transportation areas up to the use of zero-carbon fuels, such as hydrogen and ammonia, in all sectors.

In this framework, a wide range of development and conservation strategies can help protect the natural environment and, at the same time, make cities more attractive, livable, and economically stable; these strategies are currently strongly promoted. Therefore, new urban design concepts should presuppose the inclusion and reintroduction of biodiversity into the built environment by recognizing the central role urban green spaces could have in the mitigation of an expected warmer climate, the saving of soil consumption, and, in social terms, for providing collective public places.

Urban planning should constantly act in synergy with evaluation disciplines to obtain city models that are consistent with genuine community needs and the broader purposes fixed by central governments, in relation to both the drastic reduction in energy and resource use and the creation of smart cities that are capable of self-generating at least half of their required energy, meeting the changing requirements of the population.

The present Special Issue is connected to topic, which is mainly related to highlighting innovative support decision-making tools that can guide the processes for the development of effective urban regeneration initiatives. In particular, this Special Issue encourages the reflection of researchers and scholars through theoretical, methodological, and application contributions on the implementation of strategies for real estate dynamics analysis and the definition of urban planning choices from the perspective of urban sustainability.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) issues on the economic valuation of real estate investment projects, urban and land economics, sustainable building transformations and the economic effects on natural and built environments, green buildings, resilient cities, spatial planning and management, decarbonization processes, soil saving, and public–private partnerships.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Felicia Di Liddo
Prof. Dr. Pierluigi Morano
Dr. Francesco Tajani
Dr. Paola Amoruso
Guest Editors

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-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.

Keywords

  • urban planning
  • smart cities
  • low-carbon resilience
  • decarbonization
  • sustainable development goals
  • decision support methods
  • urban regeneration
  • built environment
  • soil saving
  • evaluation tools

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

23 pages, 1537 KB  
Article
Local Diversity Under Pressure: How Centralization Affects Sustainable Development Vectors and Initiatives
by Alena Harbiankova, Aleg Sivagrakau, Anna Rosa and Sławomir Kalinowski
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010030 - 19 Dec 2025
Viewed by 159
Abstract
This study investigates how centralized governance structures undermine the achievement of sustainable development by systematically eliminating local grassroot territorial development vectors and initiatives. It examines how centralization reduces the representation of diverse sustainability strategies as systems transition from local to regional/national level. Using [...] Read more.
This study investigates how centralized governance structures undermine the achievement of sustainable development by systematically eliminating local grassroot territorial development vectors and initiatives. It examines how centralization reduces the representation of diverse sustainability strategies as systems transition from local to regional/national level. Using Belarus as a case study, this research discovers the effects of this transition. The study thoroughly explored 47 sustainable development planning documents from Belarus, spanning from 2005 to 2020, and encompassing diverse levels of governance, including Local Agenda 21 plans, municipal strategies, and regional planning documents. The SWOT indicators extracted during the analysis were systematically categorized within the advanced sustainability framework into the following four categories: social, environmental, economic, and institutional/participatory. A quantitative analysis of local development vectors loss was conducted using a novel evaluation tool designed to measure indicator diversity across various planning scales. The findings show that approximately 85% of the diversity of local sustainability vectors is lost due to aggregation/in hierarchical planning processes. This phenomenon can be explained by reference to three mechanisms: administrative inertia (institutional resistance to novel approaches), funding constraints (central budgets default to standardized territorial development vectors), and structural barriers (limited local autonomy despite formal decentralization policies). Social and environmental development vectors demonstrate greater losses than economic ones, indicating that context-specific local solutions are systematically ignored at higher scales. The results indicate that the formal decentralization approach is ineffective in preserving local sustainability without complementary institutional reforms. The study enhances existing knowledge of sustainability science by demonstrating how central governance restricts the implementation of localized solutions to environmental and social challenges. This demonstrates that formal decentralization policies, without institutional reforms, do not lead to sustainable development. The methodology developed here can also be applied to other highly centralized systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Planning Models and Effective Management Tools in Resilient Low-Carbon Cities: Issues, Methods and Innovations—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 3083 KB  
Article
GIS-Based Spatial–Temporal Analysis of Development Changes in Rural and Suburban Areas
by Joanna Budnicka-Kosior, Jakub Gąsior, Emilia Janeczko and Łukasz Kwaśny
Sustainability 2025, 17(23), 10782; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310782 - 2 Dec 2025
Viewed by 376
Abstract
In recent years, European cities have experienced rapid changes in their functional and spatial organisation, which have affected, among others, the natural environment, the economy and society. The intensive and often uncontrolled growth of residential development associated with suburbanisation significantly impacts areas located [...] Read more.
In recent years, European cities have experienced rapid changes in their functional and spatial organisation, which have affected, among others, the natural environment, the economy and society. The intensive and often uncontrolled growth of residential development associated with suburbanisation significantly impacts areas located around urban areas. Growing investment pressures usually lead to the transformation of rural and naturally valuable areas, altering their character and functions. Solving these problems requires developing a method to determine the main directions and intensity of land use changes in the context of urbanisation pressures and sustainable spatial development. This article presents the results of a spatiotemporal analysis of the dynamics of built-up area development in rural and suburban zones, utilising Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. The study focused on the expansion of single- and multi-family housing around the city of Białystok, Poland, between 1997 and 2022. The analysis was based on spatial data, including available orthomosaics and cadastral data from the Topographic Objects Database (BDOT10k). The GIS-based analysis covered an area of nearly 2000 km2 and included methods for change detection, analysis, and land cover classification. The results indicated a marked intensification in landscape transformations, particularly in transition zones between rural and urban areas. At the same time, forests and protected zones significantly influenced the direction and pace of development, acting as natural barriers limiting spatial expansion. The results indicate the need to consider environmental factors (e.g., protected areas and forests) in spatial planning processes and sustainable development policies. The study confirms the high usefulness of GIS tools in monitoring and forecasting spatial change at both the local and regional scales. This research also contributes to the discussion on urbanisation, its characteristics, causes, and consequences, and highlights the role of green spaces in limiting sprawl. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Planning Models and Effective Management Tools in Resilient Low-Carbon Cities: Issues, Methods and Innovations—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 485 KB  
Article
Public Perspective on Increasing Renewable Energy Use Ratio in Public Buildings in South Korea
by Bo-Min Seol, Min-Ki Hyun and Seung-Hoon Yoo
Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8407; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188407 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1671
Abstract
The South Korean government plans to increase the share of renewable energy (RE) used in public buildings by 10% from the current 30% to 40% by 2030. This article seeks to estimate the public willingness to pay (WTP) for this increase. To this [...] Read more.
The South Korean government plans to increase the share of renewable energy (RE) used in public buildings by 10% from the current 30% to 40% by 2030. This article seeks to estimate the public willingness to pay (WTP) for this increase. To this end, a contingent valuation was applied, with 1000 households randomly selected and surveyed through one-on-one interviews. The payment vehicle and WTP elicitation method were determined to be income tax per household and the one-and-one-half-bound model, respectively. The annual WTP per household was estimated to be KRW 2712 (USD 2.04) with statistical significance. When expanded to the population, this produces an annual value of KRW 60.15 billion (USD 45.23 million). The increase in the RE use share can not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also result in savings on electricity bills. The sum of these two can be considered as benefits, and the sum of the construction and maintenance costs incurred due to the increase can be considered as costs. The cost–benefit analysis indicates that the present value of net benefits and the benefit-to-cost ratio were estimated to be KRW 667.3 billion (USD 501.7 million) and 1.48, respectively. Consequently, the increase is socially desirable and should be implemented immediately. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Planning Models and Effective Management Tools in Resilient Low-Carbon Cities: Issues, Methods and Innovations—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 1024 KB  
Article
Aspects of Support and Types of Work–Life Balance Among Employees from Rural Areas in Poland
by Marta Domagalska-Grędys, Michał Niewiadomski and Katarzyna Piecuch
Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8313; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188313 - 16 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1421
Abstract
Rural areas offer unique contexts for work–life balance (WLB) development due to distinct working conditions and employment structures. Employees who have access to flexible work arrangements, non-material bonuses, and peaceful workplaces are more productive (lower absenteeism, greater commitment). The aim of the study [...] Read more.
Rural areas offer unique contexts for work–life balance (WLB) development due to distinct working conditions and employment structures. Employees who have access to flexible work arrangements, non-material bonuses, and peaceful workplaces are more productive (lower absenteeism, greater commitment). The aim of the study was to determine the aspects of support and types of WLB among employees from rural areas. Two analyses were conducted: PCA (principal component analysis) for the entire sample, and a fuzzy c-means cluster analysis for wage employees. Based on PCA, three aspects of WLB support were identified: leave, work, and work hygiene (regeneration). The use of emergency and family leave dominated practices supporting WLB among employees in rural areas. The respondents did not attach much importance to social benefits improving work hygiene; moreover, the work hygiene aspect was not applied in parallel with other aspects of WLB support (leave, work). As a result of clustering the respondents’ answers, four employee types were identified based on WLB assessment, demographic characteristics, and work-related factors. Clustering revealed a clear correlation between WLB assessment and employee age and gender. The highest scores in terms of the quality of work–life balance were recorded among middle-aged men (type 4). Younger people, especially women (type 1), rated their WLB as moderately good. Regardless of age and gender, as stress levels increased and personal quality of life declined, thoughts about changing jobs intensified. Employee well-being significantly influences job retention intentions among rural workers. This study uniquely integrates multiple theoretical frameworks and employs principal component analysis and fuzzy c-means clustering to explore work–life balance among rural employees, a group seldom studied. By focusing on rural contexts and offering systemic, multi-domain insights, the findings advance WLB theory and practice and provide recommendations for employers and policymakers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Planning Models and Effective Management Tools in Resilient Low-Carbon Cities: Issues, Methods and Innovations—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 4949 KB  
Article
Sustainable Mobility in Barcelona: Trends, Challenges and Policies for Urban Decarbonization
by Carolina Sifuentes-Muñoz, Blanca Arellano and Josep Roca
Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 6964; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17156964 - 31 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3089
Abstract
The Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) has implemented various policies to reduce car use and promote more sustainable mobility. Initiatives such as superblocks, Low Emission Zones (LEZs), and the Bicivia network aim to transform the urban model in response to environmental and congestion challenges. [...] Read more.
The Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) has implemented various policies to reduce car use and promote more sustainable mobility. Initiatives such as superblocks, Low Emission Zones (LEZs), and the Bicivia network aim to transform the urban model in response to environmental and congestion challenges. However, the high reliance on private vehicles for intermunicipal travel, uneven infrastructure, and social resistance to certain changes remain significant issues. This study examines the evolution of mobility patterns and assesses the effectiveness of the above policies in fostering real and sustainable change. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, which combined an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of 2011–2024 data, trend linear regression, and a comparative international analysis. The EFA identified four key structural dimensions: traditional transport infrastructure, active mobility and bus lines, public bicycles and mixed use, and transport efficiency and punctuality. The findings reveal a clear reduction in private car use and an increase in sustainable modes of transport. This indicates that there are prospects for future transformation. Nonetheless, challenges persist in intermunicipal mobility and the public acceptance of the measures. This study provides empirical and comparative evidence and emphasizes the need for integrated metropolitan governance to achieve a resilient and sustainable urban model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Planning Models and Effective Management Tools in Resilient Low-Carbon Cities: Issues, Methods and Innovations—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop