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Urban Science
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Enhancing Urban Sustainability and Well-Being in Developing Regions Facing Climate...
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Enhancing Urban Sustainability and Well-Being in Developing Regions Facing Climate Change Impacts and Economic Constraints

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 16255

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Aya Hagishima

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-koen, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
Interests: urban climate; sustainable built environment; indoor thermal comfort; building-related health risk; urban thermal environment; airflow of urban street canyon; thermal mitigation effect of urban vegetation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the rapid urbanization of developing regions has been accompanied by significant challenges related to climate change including urban heat island and economic constraints. Urban areas in these regions often face severe impacts from climate-related events such as heatwaves, flooding, and storms, exacerbating existing socio-economic vulnerabilities. The urgency to enhance urban sustainability and well-being in these contexts has never been more pronounced. This Special Issue will bring together cutting-edge research that addresses these critical issues, providing insights and solutions to improve urban resilience and quality of life in developing regions.

This Special Issue seeks to explore innovative strategies and practices that can enhance urban sustainability and well-being in developing regions. By focusing on areas particularly vulnerable to climate change and economic limitations, we aim to contribute to the broader discourse on urban resilience and sustainability. The scope of this Special Issue aligns with the journal’s commitment to advancing knowledge of urban studies, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic development. We invite researchers to submit original research articles and comprehensive reviews that offer novel insights about and practical approaches to overcome these pressing challenges.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews that cover a broad range of topics related to urban sustainability and well-being are welcome. Potential themes include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Urban Climate: Investigations into urban microclimates, heat island effects, and climate adaptation strategies in urban settings;
  • Built-Environment: Studies on sustainable building practices, energy efficiency, disaster prevention, and the integration of renewable energy sources into urban infrastructure;
  • Settlement Studies: Research on the dynamics of informal settlements, including socio-economic conditions, infrastructure development, and policy interventions to improve living standards and resilience.

In this Special Issue, we will highlight both theoretical advancements and practical applications that can inform policy-making and urban planning. Submissions should contribute to our understanding of how developing regions can navigate the dual challenges of climate change and economic constraints to foster more sustainable and resilient urban environments.

I look forward to receiving your contributions and the opportunity to advance this important field of study together.

Dr. Aya Hagishima
Guest Editor

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 climate change
  • urban heat island
  • urban well-being
  • developing regions
  • sustainability
  • urban health risks

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  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 4306 KiB  
Article
Exploring Pro-Environmental Behaviors and Health-Oriented Mindsets in Urban Slum Upgrading Projects: A Case Study of Surakarta City, Indonesia
by Solli Murtyas, Kusumaningdyah Nurul Handayani, Kojiro Sho and Aya Hagishima
Urban Sci. 2025, 9(4), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9040131 - 17 Apr 2025
Viewed by 874
Abstract
Rapid urbanization has led to significant demographic shifts and environmental challenges worldwide, with a growing portion of the urban population living in slums. This study investigates the impact of an urban slum upgrading program on pro-environmental behaviors and health-oriented mindsets among residents in [...] Read more.
Rapid urbanization has led to significant demographic shifts and environmental challenges worldwide, with a growing portion of the urban population living in slums. This study investigates the impact of an urban slum upgrading program on pro-environmental behaviors and health-oriented mindsets among residents in Surakarta City, Indonesia. Specifically, it aims to reveal how pro-environmental behaviors, house satisfaction, health-oriented behaviors, and sustainability beliefs manifest within this unique socio-cultural setting. A representative survey was conducted among 327 residents of newly renovated urban slum housing. Additionally, cluster analysis with the Silhouette method was performed to identify distinct demographic and social ‘personalities’ characterized by pro-environmental and health-oriented mindsets within the heterogeneous population across three observed districts. The findings show that while strong beliefs in sustainability are common, there is a gap in translating these beliefs into action, as evidenced by low engagement with recycling and waste-burning avoidance. Furthermore, four clusters with unique profiles emerged: (1) residents dissatisfied with housing but proactive in sustainability (23.3%); (2) health-focused residents satisfied with housing but less engaged in sustainability (5.8%); (3) residents content with housing but low on health awareness and moderate in sustainability beliefs (46.8%); and (4) residents with strong sustainability beliefs but minimal pro-environmental actions (24.1%). This study offers valuable insights for policymakers to guide urban slum upgrading programs with targeted interventions addressing the unique characteristics among the residents. These findings are vital for creating a sustainable urban environment and preventing upgraded areas from reverting to slum conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Urban Sustainability and Well-Being in Developing Regions Facing Climate Change Impacts and Economic Constraints)
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Review

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24 pages, 1532 KiB  
Review
Climate Justice and Heat Inequity in Poor Urban Communities: The Lens of Transitional Justice, Green Climate Gentrification, and Adaptation Praxis
by Maxwell Fobi Kontor, Andre Brown and José Rafael Núñez Collado
Urban Sci. 2025, 9(6), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9060226 - 13 Jun 2025
Viewed by 616
Abstract
Urban heat stress is becoming increasingly urgent, yet it remains understudied within the broader intersection of climate change and spatial justice. While urban climate scholarship has largely focused on climatic impacts such as flooding, rising sea levels, and prolonged droughts, the socio-spatial lens [...] Read more.
Urban heat stress is becoming increasingly urgent, yet it remains understudied within the broader intersection of climate change and spatial justice. While urban climate scholarship has largely focused on climatic impacts such as flooding, rising sea levels, and prolonged droughts, the socio-spatial lens of urban heat in marginalised and low-income urban communities has received limited attention. This article, grounded in a systematic review of the global literature, foregrounds the mechanisms through which heat functions as a site of socio-environmental injustice. We argue that fragmented urban morphologies, entrenched spatial inequalities, and uneven adaptation strategies collectively produce and sustain heat vulnerability. The article identifies three interrelated conceptual framings that elucidate the production and persistence of heat inequity: transitional injustice, green climate gentrification, and intersectional adaptation praxis. These lenses reveal how heat risk is differentially distributed, governed, and experienced with broader discourses of urban marginalisation, environmental dispossession, and epistemic exclusion. We contend that advancing climate justice in the context of urban heat requires moving beyond technocratic and elite-oriented adaptation, toward multi-scalar planning paradigms that recognise embodied vulnerability, structural inequality, and the socio-political ecologies of thermal exposure. By theorising urban heat through the lens of climate justice, this article contributes to a more expansive and critical understanding of urban climate risk, one that situates heat inequity within the broader structures of power, governance, and spatial exclusion shaping contemporary urban environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Urban Sustainability and Well-Being in Developing Regions Facing Climate Change Impacts and Economic Constraints)
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18 pages, 299 KiB  
Review
Informal Settlements: A New Understanding for Governance and Vulnerability Study
by Christopher L. Atkinson
Urban Sci. 2024, 8(4), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8040158 - 29 Sep 2024
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 13446
Abstract
This review examines current knowledge in the literature on informal settlements, specifically those contributions that include emphases on governance and the role of public administration. Given that informal settlements task the public sector with specific challenges that test the limits of infrastructure, while [...] Read more.
This review examines current knowledge in the literature on informal settlements, specifically those contributions that include emphases on governance and the role of public administration. Given that informal settlements task the public sector with specific challenges that test the limits of infrastructure, while also presenting considerable human demands, there is a need to better understand how informal settlements and governments’ capacities to respond to such phenomena potentially deepen concerns with already vulnerable populations. After an introduction to the concept of informal settlements, the paper considers the approach to the literature review, which included an initial group of 272 papers from peer-reviewed, English-language journals, from the period 2019 to June 2024. Major themes are discussed, with opportunities for future research identified. Informal settlements are still an emerging topic within the larger land use and urban planning literature, but the significance of this research extends beyond the immediate areas of the settlements themselves to critical areas of governance and vulnerability study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Urban Sustainability and Well-Being in Developing Regions Facing Climate Change Impacts and Economic Constraints)

Other

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25 pages, 2581 KiB  
Systematic Review
A Comprehensive Systematic Review of Machine Learning Applications in Assessing Land Use/Cover Dynamics and Their Impact on Land Surface Temperatures
by Rasool Vahid and Mohamed H. Aly
Urban Sci. 2025, 9(7), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9070234 - 20 Jun 2025
Viewed by 492
Abstract
In a world experiencing rapid urbanization, the phenomenon of land surface temperature (LST) variation has invited substantial attention due to its profound impact on the environment and human well-being. Changes in land use and land cover (LULC) within urban areas significantly influence the [...] Read more.
In a world experiencing rapid urbanization, the phenomenon of land surface temperature (LST) variation has invited substantial attention due to its profound impact on the environment and human well-being. Changes in land use and land cover (LULC) within urban areas significantly influence the dynamics of LST and are a major driver of urban eco-environmental change. The complex connections between LULC dynamics, LST, and climate change are investigated in this systematic review, with a focus on the combined effects of these variables and the use of Machine Learning (ML) techniques. The data in this study, based on peer-reviewed publications from the past 25 years, were obtained from Science Direct and Web of Science databases. Based on our findings, Landsat is the most widely used dataset for analyzing the impacts of LULC on LST. Additionally, built-up areas, vegetation, and population density had the biggest effects on LST values based on focused studies. This systematic review reveals that Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Cellular Automata-Markov (CA-Markov), and Random Forest (RF) are the most used ML techniques in predicting LULC and LST. The study finds that NDBI and NDVI are recognized as the key LULC indices that have strong correlations with LST. We also highlight key LULC classes that have the most impact on LST variation. To validate the results, these studies employ Pearson correlation, the NDVI and NDBI index, and other linear regression methods. This review concludes by highlighting future research directions and the current need for interdisciplinary efforts to address the intricate dynamics of LULC and the Earth’s surface temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Urban Sustainability and Well-Being in Developing Regions Facing Climate Change Impacts and Economic Constraints)
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