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Sustainable Urban Risk Management and Resilience Strategy

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A Special Issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050) belonging to the section "Health, Well-Being and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 11239

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Editors

Prof. Dr. Scira Menoni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Architecture, Built Environment, and Construction Engineering (DABC), Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: natural disasters; risk management and assessment; damage data assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Veronica Gazzola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Architecture, Built Environment, and Construction Engineering (DABC), Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: urban and regional planning; disaster risk prevention; critical infrastructures; territorial resilience; geographical information system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the face of frequent natural disasters with cascading impacts mainly occurring in risk-prone urban areas due to the combination of complex sets of interrelated processes (environmental, social, and economic), work on urban resilience provides a valuable opportunity to enhance the performance of both sustainable development and risk reduction programming at different spatial and temporal scales. In the last decade, major global urban resilience initiatives (e.g., SDG, New Urban Agenda, Sendai Framework and Paris Agreement, CER directive) have recognized the value and potential of land use planning as a proactive non-structural measure to reduce the current (and future) vulnerabilities of human settlements and infrastructures across all the phases of the so-called disaster cycle (from prevention to preparedness, emergency response, recovery, and reconstruction); however, there are still many challenges of simultaneously making sustainability, risk, and resilience practices part of ordinary urban planning and management activities. This Special Issue will explore comprehensive and cross-disciplinary approaches, methodologies, and applications of territorial and urban management systems, tools, procedures, and models that can be incorporated into a safe, resilient, and sustainable built environment. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

Technical and Data limitations (e.g., accurate risk data, particularly on exposure and vulnerability to multiple hazards that may co-exist in a given region);

Institutional and Governance challenges (e.g., coordination between urban planning, disaster risk management, and environmental policies);

Environmental and Climate issues (e.g., rising climate-related risks, loss of natural ecosystems);

Social Equity and Inclusivity (e.g., public awareness and participation).

Prof. Dr. Scira Menoni
Prof. Dr. Veronica Gazzola
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-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.

Keywords

disaster risk reduction
natural disasters
land use planning
sustainable development
territorial and urban management
resilience
stakeholders engagement
knowledge and data
disaster cycle

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 10468 KB

Open AccessArticle

From Rescue to Prevention: A Comprehensive Analysis Framework for Urban Fire Risks Based on the PSR Model and Environmental Criminology Theory

by Yuning Feng, Chuyun Cheng, Zhengxiong Lei, Zehao Shen, Lun Wu, Cong Liao and Yuan Tian

Sustainability 2026, 18(12), 5795; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18125795 - 6 Jun 2026

Viewed by 623

Abstract

Urban fire prevention is shifting from reactive response to proactive risk governance, yet current approaches often overlook risk-type heterogeneity, spatial dependencies, and underlying behavioral mechanisms, especially equitable risk distribution among vulnerable groups. To address this, this study integrates the Pressure–State–Response (PSR) model with environmental criminology theories (Routine Activity Theory (RAT) and Crime Pattern Theory (CPT)) to couple macro social causal chains with micro behavioral–spatial mechanisms. Using data from the digital urban management system of Shenzhen’s Guangming District in 2019, four fire risk event types are examined: electric bike charging violations (EB), unauthorized power wiring (PW), water heater misuse (WH), and aging gas pipelines (GP). Spatial error models explain 82–89% of the variance across fire risk event types, and spatial 5-fold cross-validation shows minimal performance decline (ΔR² = 0.03–0.08), confirming robust prediction without overfitting. Key findings include: (1) elderly proportion is significantly positively associated with WH and PW (coefficients = 2.64 and 3.06, p < 0.01); (2) restaurant density has a consistently positive association with all four risk types (coefficients = 0.24–0.60, p < 0.01); (3) functional diversity and connectivity exhibit dual patterns, showing negative associations with more visible, easily detectable violations (PW, GP) but positive relationships with relatively concealed behaviors (EB); (4) reported safety deficiencies display strong positive associations with all fire risk event types and can therefore serve as an effective early-warning indicator for broader fire risk. These results support risk-specific, equity-oriented prevention strategies that prioritize vulnerable groups and high-risk environments. The validated PSR–RAT/CPT framework provides a novel theoretical basis for targeted fire risk governance and advances safe, resilient, inclusive cities aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 11. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Risk Management and Resilience Strategy)

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31 pages, 9488 KB

Open AccessArticle

Membrane Structures as a Shelter Solution for Privately Owned Public Spaces: Evaluating Heat-Related Risk During Disasters and Daily Thermal Comfort via Simulation

by Xi Xu, Hinako Abe and Takashi Asawa

Sustainability 2026, 18(9), 4167; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18094167 - 22 Apr 2026

Viewed by 512

Abstract

This study evaluated whether membrane structures can enhance thermal comfort and reduce heat- and cold-related health risks in privately owned public spaces (POPS) under representative seasonal peak conditions. Based on previous in situ measurements revealing severe summer heat stress and winter cold discomfort in two POPS in Tokyo’s Minato-ku Shibaura district, a membrane-based shelter solution is proposed and systematically assessed. Their thermal environmental effects were numerically simulated using a coupled surface energy balance (SEB) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, with evaluations focusing on human health risks and thermal comfort. Results demonstrated that in summer, membrane structures effectively improved thermal comfort by reducing the standard effective temperature (SET*) by 1.9–3.9 °C, although these SET* values still remained above the thermal comfort range. Notably, heat stress-related health risks were significantly mitigated, as deep body temperature (DBT) decreased by 1.2–1.6 °C, falling below the 38 °C heatstroke risk threshold. In winter, although the overall improvement was limited, the membrane structures still reduced cold-related health risks and extended allowable exposure duration (AED). Furthermore, auxiliary measures (e.g., mist sprays for summer and supplementary heating for winter) are recommended to further enhance thermal comfort in POPS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Risk Management and Resilience Strategy)

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31 pages, 3749 KB

Open AccessArticle

Nomadic Gardens as a Design Paradigm: Linking Everyday Practices, Cultural Memory and Adaptive Urbanism

by Sonia Vuscan, Jianglong Yu and Radu Muntean

Sustainability 2026, 18(6), 3107; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18063107 - 21 Mar 2026

Viewed by 794

Abstract

Rapid, state-led urbanization in China often generates socio-spatial vulnerabilities, leaving interstitial “waiting lands” in a state of regulatory and ecological limbo. This paper investigates “nomadic gardens”—spontaneous, resident-led cultivation in Jinan—as a bottom-up strategy for adaptive capacity. Using a mixed-methods approach involving site typologies and community surveys (n = 100), we identify eight distinct garden forms that function as socio-ecological buffers, mitigating the risks of social isolation and psychological distress among elderly residents. Findings reveal a significant resilience gap caused by rigid land-use policies that prioritize ornamental aesthetics over functional productivity. We propose an Adaptive Urbanism framework that utilizes modular design and transitional governance to transform these precarious spaces into managed resilience assets. By shifting the planning focus from enforcement to risk-responsive design, this research provides a scalable model for sustainable urban risk management in rapidly transforming global cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Risk Management and Resilience Strategy)

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40 pages, 3967 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Evolution, Constraints, and Configurational Driving Paths of District-Level Urban Resilience: A Case Study of Xi’an, China

by Yarui Wu, Siyu Yang, Tian Hu and Ke Cao

Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2513; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052513 - 4 Mar 2026

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1535

Abstract

Addressing meso-scale sensing voids and resource misallocations, this study constructs an integrated “Performance Sensing–Bottleneck Diagnosis–Configuration Identification” framework to evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution of resilience across Xi’an’s districts (2018–2023). This research operationalizes a diagnostic-driven analytical pipeline coupling multi-source parameters with the CRITIC method to complement static stock accounting with dynamic performance sensing. This logic integrates Dagum Gini decomposition to pinpoint spatiotemporal bottlenecks and fuzzy-set QCA (fsQCA) to uncover driving pathways, utilizing an “Obstacle–Correlation” matrix to provide an objective basis for antecedent selection. The results show the following: (1) A “V-shaped” spatiotemporal trajectory and 2020 “resilience inversion” (dipping to 0.364) highlight the sensitivity of dynamic performance sensing in exposing latent vulnerabilities. (2) Persistent “center-periphery” gradients exist, with administrative siphoning driving 66.7% of inequality; diagnosis identifies distinct spatiotemporal pathologies: rigid spatial constraints in urban cores versus service imbalances in expansion zones. (3) Three equifinal pathways and an “asymmetric cancellation” effect prove that resilience hinges on configurational fit rather than linear stacking, where extreme single-dimension shortfalls neutralize collective gains. By bridging situational pathologies and governance pathways, this framework provides a robust empirical basis for the refined allocation of resources in complex environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Risk Management and Resilience Strategy)

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35 pages, 1594 KB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Planning for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: A Review at the Crossroads of Research and Practice

by Scira Menoni

Sustainability 2025, 17(20), 9092; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209092 - 14 Oct 2025

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5212

Abstract

This review seeks to understand what urban planning and management can do to reduce disaster risk and help cities adapt to the impacts of climate change. To achieve this, it examines various streams of the literature, as the topic sits at the intersection of several distinct but relevant disciplinary fields. These include urban planning in hazardous areas, recovery planning, disaster risk reduction (an umbrella term encompassing disciplines from engineering to geography and sociology), and, more recently, climate change adaptation. To navigate this vast body of knowledge, a conceptual framework is proposed to guide the selection of the relevant literature, and the strategy for this selection is detailed in the methodological section. This review adopts elements of both critical and theoretical approaches: it does not aim to be comprehensive or to systematically search each disciplinary domain addressed. While acknowledging the limitations and potential biases in the selection of articles and books, the review reflects an evolution in the discourse on urban planning for resilience. The discussion explores how the concept of resilience has emerged as a valuable bridge between disaster risk reduction, sustainability, and climate change adaptation—especially as cities face increasing exposure and vulnerability to stresses that are now more frequently compounded, multi-hazard, and cascading. The conclusion outlines the gaps and challenges that researchers, practitioners, and policy makers need to address moving forward. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Risk Management and Resilience Strategy)

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17 pages, 2398 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mismatch Between Heat Exposure Risk and Blue-Green Exposure in Wuhan: A Coupled Spatial Analysis

by Taiyun Xia, Liwei Zhang and Yu Zou

Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8440; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188440 - 19 Sep 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1725

Abstract

Urban blue-green infrastructure (UBGI) has been recognized as an effective nature-based solution (NbS) for mitigating urban overheating through temperature reduction. However, there is a paucity of research examining whether UBGI spatial configurations align with the geographical distribution of the heat exposure risks of urban residents. This study focuses on this research gap, employing a population-weighted algorithm to conduct a refined assessment of the blue-green spaces exposure and heat exposure risks of urban residents. Then, the heat exposure risk was conceptualized as the demand for cooling services, with exposure to blue-green spaces serving as the supply. A comprehensive assessment was finally conducted of the supply–demand relationship and coupling coordination level for cooling services in central Wuhan. The following findings were revealed: (1) Both heat exposure risks and blue-green exposure demonstrate distinct “west high–east low” spatial gradients. It is evident that extreme high/high-risk zones, which encompass 17.1% of the study area, house 74.49% of the permanent population; (2) A substantial and pervasive positive correlation exists between UGBI exposure and the heat exposure risk. “High-demand–high-supply” areas (14.90% coverage) concentrate in urban cores, overlapping with 61.25% high-risk populations, while 0.29% of zones show “high-demand–low-supply” mismatches, revealing concentrated but ineffective UGBI distribution; (3) A pervasive supply–demand imbalance is evident, with 90.64% of regions exhibiting an unacceptable coupling type range (0 < D ≤ 0.4) and a mere 1.39% attaining an acceptable range (0.6 < D ≤ 1). These findings underscore the inadequacy of prevailing urban blue-green infrastructure configurations in addressing heat exposure risks. The construction of cities with greater heat resilience necessitates the implementation of multidimensional strategies aimed at risk mitigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Risk Management and Resilience Strategy)

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