Architecture, Cities, and Sustainable Development Goals

Dear Colleagues,

Architecture, cities, and sustainable development converge at the intersection between knowledge development in design innovation and the future of our built environment. At this juncture, a dynamic interplay of concepts, theories, principles, imperatives, and strategies co-exist with the aim of not only redefining the physical environment that makes up our cities but also revolutionizing the way that we inhabit, interact with, and steward this environment.

As the world's population continues to migrate to urban areas, our design decisions in architecture and urbanism have profound and lasting implications. Sustainable architecture endeavours to construct buildings that harmoniously coexist with their physical surroundings and social contexts, leveraging renewable sources, and prioritizing eco-friendly materials to minimize the environmental impact throughout their life cycle. On a larger scale, sustainable cities are planned to prioritize the well-being of their inhabitants by promoting walkability, healthy lifestyles, efficient public transportation, socio-spatial justice, and equitable access to services.

Aim of this Special Issue:

Architecture, Cities, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) instigated a novel agenda for sustainable development, through which research in architecture and urbanism plays a pivotal role and established benchmarks aim at eradicating poverty, safeguarding our planet, and ensuring prosperity for all. This Special Issue aims at presenting research findings that contribute to the discourse on how buildings and cities can endure and flourish in the face of global challenges. Its key interest is in showcasing original research that integrates sustainability principles and ecological imperatives into architecture and urban design and planning. This includes research that offers solutions to pressing challenges including climate change, social disparities, heritage and cultural sensitivity, circular urban planning, and community resilience. We desire research papers, case studies, and evidence-based project reports that elucidate the path to creating buildings and cities that are ecologically responsible and socially inclusive.

Topics of interest:

We welcome submissions on a wide range of topics on architecture and cities as they relate to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including, but not limited to, the following subjects:

1. User-Centred Design and Co-Creation: Articles that engage with collaborative design approaches that involve stakeholders in the design process to ensure that sustainability and human experience are integrated seamlessly;
2. Urban Design and Spatial Development for Resilience: This topic is centred on urban design and planning and their critical role in creating resilient cities that can withstand and adapt to social and environmental challenges;
3. Social Equity and Inclusivity: This topic is based on the premise that achieving sustainability in cities involves efforts that successfully address social disparities and injustice while promoting urban inclusivity;
4. Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship: Articles that place emphasis on the responsible use of resources and environmental conservation, the reuse of existing built structures before embarking on new developments, and preserving green fields;
5. Circular Urban Planning: This topic explores urban planning approaches that prioritize circularity by designing cities for resource optimization, sustainable transportation, and integrated waste management systems;
6. Psychological Resilience and Sustainable Cities: We welcome articles that focus on investigating the role of the built environment in supporting psychological resilience and well-being in the face of crises, natural disasters, and disease spread.

 All articles should offer reflections on and engage with one or more of the SDGs, either as initiators for the research/study or as future directions from the perspective of the findings and outcomes.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Ashraf M. Salama
Prof. Dr. Ruth Conroy Dalton
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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.

• inclusivity
• social equity
• sustainable design
• sustainable cities
• urban resilience
• user-centred design