Urban Trends: Cities, Housing Markets, Regional Dynamics and Tourism

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, “Urban Trends: Cities, Housing Markets, Regional Dynamics and Tourism”, focuses on analysing and critically reflecting on the current challenges and trends shaping the development of cities, metropolitan regions, and tourism destinations. The aim is to bring together relevant academic and professional contributions that explore the links between rental theories, property markets, urban housing, tourism, spatial planning, local development, and urban transport in order to better understand the complex transformations of urban and tourism-driven spaces. At the centre of these considerations are theories of rent as a basis for understanding the economic logic of land use, the impact of land values on spatial development and the mechanisms that determine the availability of housing and tourist accommodation in urban areas. Contemporary theoretical approaches and empirical examples will be used to analyse how economic factors shape the social structure of cities, influence the (in)accessibility of housing and affect tourism profitability and quality of life in urban destinations. Real estate markets are analysed, with a focus on regional differences, the role of institutional investors, subsidy policies and the particular challenges posed by housing shortages in areas under pressure from tourism and short-term rental platforms. Urban living issues—including changes in housing, public space and general quality of life—are also discussed in the context of the need for more flexible, inclusive and tourism-friendly spatial planning models. This Special Issue focuses on local development strategies and highlights the role of local authorities in balancing economic, social, environmental and tourism-related objectives. It explores the potential of public–private partnerships in building resilient, equitable and attractive urban and tourism communities. In the context of climate challenges and technological change, the transition to sustainable urban transport is particularly emphasised as a key factor for accessibility, equity, and inclusion. The overarching aim of this Special Issue is to stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue and create a space for knowledge exchange between urban planners, economists, sociologists, tourism researchers, architects, and policy makers.

We invite the academic community to submit original scientific papers, theoretical analyses and case studies that shed light on the challenges and opportunities of urban and tourism development in the 21st century. We particularly welcome contributions that critically question existing practises and make innovative proposals for a more sustainable, inclusive and tourism-friendly urban future.

This Special Issue includes the following topics, among others:

• The impact of property and rental markets on the availability of housing and tourist accommodation in urban destinations;
• Tourism-induced urban changes: Gentrification, short-term rentals and spatial inequality;
• Integrated spatial planning for sustainable smart cities and tourism destinations;
• Public space, urban quality of life and tourism pressure in metropolitan regions;
• Urban transport systems and their role in sustainable mobility for residents and/or tourists.

Prof. Dr. Marinela Krstinić Nižić
Prof. Dr. Golem Silvia
Prof. Dr. Tea Golja
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.

• regional development
• smart city
• housing
• spatial planning
• urban living
• local development
• mobility
• tourism