Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability—2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, 54% of the world's population (4 billion people) live in urban areas. By 2030, 2 billion people will have moved to cities, unprecedentedly impacting existing infrastructure and resources.

The scale and speed of urbanization and the demographic transition generate risks directly related to the urban system by challenging essential services in terms of efficiency and, above all, by threatening environmental quality.

Driving the urbanization processes seeking the “best” use of land and water is vital for environmental sustainability. Individual and collective behaviors (e.g., the levels and patterns of food and energy consumption, and work and travel habits) that influence the type of production and use of resources can make a difference in the medium- to long-term perspective.

Cities are therefore increasingly at the forefront of the most pressing environmental challenges. Urban growth—driven by massive demographic shifts in the developing world—is unprecedented, with far-reaching implications for human well-being and the environment.

However, where cities pose environmental problems, they can also offer solutions by expressing unparalleled potential to increase energy efficiency and the sustainability of society as a whole.

This Special Issue addresses, but is not limited to, methodologies, applications, best practices, and overviews of urbanization and environmental sustainability in areas with a high urban density. A wide range of topics can be summarized in this approach in the context of environmental sustainability. Spatial comparisons and intertemporal approaches are also appropriate for this Special Issue. Both original research articles (5000–7000 words) and full reviews (up to 8000–13,000 words) are welcome.

Dr. Enrico Ivaldi
Dr. Leonardo Salvatore Alaimo
Dr. Alfonso Piscitelli
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.

• sustainable cities
• urban futures
• urban greening
• land system
• energy consumption
• food habits
• travel habits