Urbanization Dynamics, Urban Space, and Sustainable Governance
A special issue of Urban Science (ISSN 2413-8851).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2026 | Viewed by 49
Special Issue Editors
Interests: urban and regional development; regional transition and spatial governance; coupling mechanisms and simulation of social–ecological systems
Interests: urban and regional development; economic geography; human geography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: human geography; land Use/land cover changes; urban and regional development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The acceleration of global urbanization processes and the deepening of industrialization are reshaping the spatial patterns of urban and regional development, and are also simultaneously triggering a series of complex and interrelated challenges. Rapid urban population growth, increasing pressures on resources and the environment, uncontrolled spatial expansion, the emergence of urban shrinkage, and increasing social stratification all pose significant challenges to sustainable urban development. These challenges not only compromise urban livability and competitiveness but also exert profound impacts on the achievement of global sustainable development goals.
Against this backdrop, determining how to scientifically advance urbanization, foster inter-city and urban–regional collaborative development, optimize functional urban layouts, implement urban renewal in an orderly manner, and mitigate spatial inequalities have become critical research questions that require urgent solutions. An in-depth exploration of these cutting-edge issues holds significant theoretical and practical importance pertaining to the achievement of high-quality urban development, and the construction of sustainable urban and regional development systems.
This Special Issue will focus on the frontiers of urban geography and regional planning and, in so doing, will adopt interdisciplinary perspectives to analyze key topics such as urbanization and urban space, urban industries and urban society, urban shrinkage and urban renewal, urban transition and spatial governance, and the multidimensional effects of the development of urban agglomerations. By gathering the latest research findings from scholars, planners, and experts worldwide, the aim is to provide theoretical support and practical roadmaps for sustainable urban and regional development, thereby advancing academic innovation and practical applications in this field. The Special Issue will pay particular attention to the following seven themes:
- Mechanisms of urbanization dynamics and the reconstruction of spatial structures.
- The measurement of urban shrinkage, the mechanisms of its formation, and appropriate planning responses.
- Urban industrial transformation and innovation in relation to spatial governance.
- Social spatial differentiation in cities and inclusive development.
- The development of urban agglomerations and mechanisms for regional collaborative development.
- The utilization of urban and environmental resources and their sustainable management.
- Green and low-carbon urban renewal and resilience planning.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Yongyong Song
Prof. Dr. Pingjun Sun
Dr. Meimei Wang
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
- spatial structure
- urban shrinkage
- urban renewal
- socio-spatial differentiation
- regional synergy
- spatial governance
- sustainability
- resilient city
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