Leisure for Sustainable Future: Exploring Sustainable Environmental Leisure Activities

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Sustainability explores the complex relationships that leisure, in its diverse expressions (cultural, touristic, sportive, recreational, technological, etc.), establishes with the environment in terms of sustainability. The concepts of Sustainability and Environment are understood from a holistic view which, apart from the environmental perspective, includes other dimensions such as Sustainability (social, economic and cultural), rural and urban environments, and nature. Thus, the challenges associated with achieving sustainability in cities, the phenomenon of mobility, tourismphobia and climate change are taken into consideration.

When referring to Sustainability, we are talking about new models of economic development, production and consumption patterns, and the importance of leisure industries. Leisure’s impact on the planet and present and future societies cannot be overlooked. Is sustainable leisure possible? Is it consistent with the right to leisure? Does leisure have an environmental footprint with the carrying capacity of cities and other touristic destinations and climate and intergenerational justice? How does leisure affect equal opportunities, social cohesion or the distribution of wealth? How can leisure contribute to every being’s quality of life, security and good living?

If sustainability is taken as the new paradigm that supports harmony among the planet, the ecosystems, and the economic, social, cultural or environmental necessities of current and future generations, leisure is called upon to play an increasingly active role in sustainable development, reducing its impacts and leading new ways of thinking, managing, and acting; otherwise, overcoming this challenge will be impossible.

This Special Issue encourages professionals, scholars, and policymakers to share their reflections, investigations and good practices. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Leisure and environmental sustainability (leisure practices affected by climate change, biodiversity, animal rights, ecological justice, leisure and carrying capacity, contribution to urban sustainable mobility and ecological transition processes, the preservation of public spaces, natural spaces, the recovery of degraded spaces, tourismphobia, responsible tourism, regenerative tourism, etc.);
• Leisure and economic sustainability (new ways of leisure governance, leisure and entrepreneurship, responsible consumption, circular economy experiences, sustainable leisure and competitiveness, leisure industries, etc.);
• Leisure and social–cultural sustainability (equal opportunities, health and well-being, social cohesion, cultural identities, cultural heritage, diversity and inclusion, citizen participation, social classes, technology and social media, solidary leisure, leisure education, human sustainable development, leisure and common good, values and ecology, games and technology, etc.);
• Leisure and communities (intergenerational leisure, elderly, functional diversity, students, women, leisure etc.);
• Leisure and governance (leisure, cultural, leisure actors, cooperations, competitiveness, human sustainable development, sustainability plans, etc.).

We encourage the submission of articles that encompass these topics, as they are vital components in the larger narrative of sustainability, leisure and the environment.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. María de los Ángeles Valdemoros-San-Emeterio
Prof. Dr. María Jesús Monteagudo
Dr. Cristina Medrano Pascual
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.

• leisure
• sustainability
• society
• culture
• economy
• communities
• governance
• tourism
• intergenerational