Urban Green Infrastructure for Heat Mitigation and Social Equity: Global Perspectives and Challenges
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Air, Climate Change and Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 96
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sustainable urban development; environmental management; landscape design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: low-carbon cities; sustainable architecture; urban microclimate; eco-wisdom; climate resilience; elderly well-being; age-friendly environments
Interests: urban and rural ecological planning; landscape ecology; application of 3s technologies; climate change adaptation; resilient human settlements
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Against the backdrop of rapid global urbanization and escalating climate impacts, cities worldwide are increasingly confronted with the converging challenges of intensifying urban heat islands and deepening socioeconomic inequalities. The year 2023 was recorded as the warmest in history, with urban centers experiencing amplified thermal effects that exacerbate energy consumption, public health vulnerabilities, and environmental injustices. As municipalities increasingly adopt green infrastructure as a strategic response to these pressing issues, critical questions emerge regarding how nature-based solutions can effectively address thermal comfort requirements while ensuring equitable distribution of benefits across diverse socioeconomic groups.
In particular, the phenomenon of green gentrification—wherein environmental improvements inadvertently lead to the displacement of vulnerable residents—has underscored the urgent need for scholarly examination and practical interventions that balance ecological benefits with social justice. This Special Issue seeks to advance a comprehensive understanding of how urban green infrastructure can be strategically planned, designed, and implemented to balance thermal mitigation goals with social equity objectives across varied global contexts. We welcome original research articles, review papers, perspectives, and case studies that explore the complex relationships between ecological benefits and social outcomes, with particular emphasis on critical examinations of the tensions among technical efficiency, economic viability, and justice considerations in green infrastructure development. Contributions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- Thermal performance and microclimate regulation of green infrastructure across different climatic zones
- Health and well-being benefits of urban greenery with explicit equity considerations
- Green gentrification: mechanisms, impacts, and preventive strategies
- Cost–benefit analyses of green infrastructure in varying economic and climatic contexts
- Integration of traditional ecological knowledge with technological innovations
- Comparative studies of green infrastructure approaches between Global North and Global South cities
- Equity dimensions of green infrastructure distribution and accessibility
- Community-led alternatives to conventional green infrastructure development
- Case studies demonstrating successful balance of environmental and social objectives
- Critical analyses of standardized approaches to urban green infrastructure
Dr. Paul Osmond
Dr. Bo Wang
Dr. Peng Cui
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 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.
Keywords
- urban green infrastructure
- heat island mitigation
- social equity
- green gentrification
- climate adaptation
- traditional ecological knowledge
- Global South cities
- environmental justice
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