Risk and Resilience of Social–Ecological Systems in Urban Areas

Dear Colleagues,

The world today has entered the "urban century". As the core engine of global social and economic development, cities, while gathering population and creating wealth, are also confronted with unprecedented complexity and uncertainty brought about by globalization, climate change and rapid urbanization. Extreme weather, public health crises, socio-economic shocks and infrastructure failures, among other multiple risks, are intertwined and superimposed, forming a "risk complex" that is difficult to deal with using traditional single solutions. Against this backdrop, the concept of "resilience" emerged, emphasizing that cities should not only possess the ability to withstand shocks and return to their original state, but also have the capacity to continuously learn, proactively adapt and achieve transformation. Viewing a city as a social ecosystem requires us to recognize that there is a close coupling and dynamic interaction between its social structure, economic model, governance system and the ecological processes and material cycles in nature. Only from this overall perspective can we systematically construct a future-oriented urban risk governance and sustainable development path.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to deeply explore the risks and resilience in urban socio-ecosystems, aiming to break down disciplinary barriers and integrate theories and methods from both natural and social sciences, providing cutting-edge academic insights and practical paths for understanding and shaping a more resilient urban future. The outcomes of this Special Issue will help decision-makers, planners and communities more effectively identify vulnerabilities, manage risks and formulate forward-looking strategies for enhancing resilience.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

1. Focus on developing a new theoretical framework, comprehensive assessment indicators and dynamic simulation methods for the resilience of urban socio-ecosystems.
2. Committed to revealing the physical exposure and social vulnerability patterns of urban systems in the face of multiple risks, as well as their cascading effects.
3. Deeply analyze how key driving factors such as ecological infrastructure, social capital and collaborative governance shape urban resilience.
4. Explore effective paths and effectiveness evaluations for transforming the concept of resilience into specific spatial planning, policy tools, and construction practices.
5. Explore with foresight the fundamental transformation of urban systems towards a sustainable, fair and resilient future vision.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Beibei Ma
Prof. Dr. Jiangsu Li
Dr. Xinyan Liu
Guest Editors

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