Selected Papers from the 1st International Online Conference on Urban Sciences

A special issue of Urban Science (ISSN 2413-8851).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 4

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute, Curtin University, Perth 6845, Australia
Interests: liveable cities; sustainable transport; urban metabolism; biophillic cities; urban policy and practice; urban regeneration; green infrastructures; resilience

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Guest Editor
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: sustainability; sustainable urban-rural development

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Guest Editor
School of Architecture and Design, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B4 7BD, UK
Interests: sensory urbanism; design research; sustainable materials; perceptions; place branding
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,​

Against the backdrop of rapid global urbanization and the urgent need for evidence-based solutions to address urban challenges, it is with great anticipation and enthusiasm that we announce the 1st International Online Conference on Urban Sciences (IOCUS 2026), sponsored by the MDPI open access journal Urban Science (ISSN 2413-8851; Impact Factor: 2.9). This inaugural virtual conference will serve as a cornerstone event for the urban science community, bringing together minds to advance our understanding of cities and their evolving role in shaping sustainable, resilient, and inclusive futures.​

Through rigorous inquiry, open dialogue, and cross-disciplinary exchange, IOCUS 2026 will provide a space to not only share evidence-based advancements but also to reimagine the principles and practices underpinning the creation of future-ready cities.​

We invite scholars, researchers, urban practitioners, policymakers, technologists, and change-makers from across the globe to contribute their knowledge and engage in deep, meaningful discussions related to the following conference streams:​

  • Urban Planning and Design​;
  • Urban Environments and Sustainability​;
  • Urban Economies and Resource Management;​
  • Urban Mobility and Transportation​;
  • Urban Resilience and Adaptation;​
  • Urbanization and Social Development.​

All submitted abstracts will undergo rigorous peer review by the IOCUS 2026 conference committee, ensuring the highest standards of academic quality. Accepted abstracts will be published online in open access format on Sciforum.net—a dedicated platform developed and sponsored by MDPI for electronic conferences—guaranteeing broad visibility and accessibility to the global community during and after the event. Selected high-quality contributions from the conference will be invited to submit full papers for publication in this Special Issue of Urban Science (ISSN 2413-8851; Impact Factor: 2.9).

We are confident that IOCUS 2026 will spark critical insights, foster long-lasting collaborations, and drive meaningful progress in urban science. This Special Issue, in turn, will serve as a lasting repository of the conference’s most influential work, shaping the future of urban research and practice for years to come. We look forward to your contributions to this exciting initiative and to building a stronger, more connected urban science community.​

Sincerely,

Prof. Dr. Peter Newman
Dr. Francesco Aletta
Prof. Dr. Jianming Cai
Dr. Jieling Xiao
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. Urban Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1600 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
  • urban design
  • urban environments
  • urban sustainability
  • urban economies
  • urban resource management
  • urban resilience and adaptation
  • urbanization
  • urban social development

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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