Advances in Remote Sensing in Urban Climatology

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of global climate changes and an increasing frequency of extreme climate events, the effects of urban areas on the atmosphere, as well as their feedback variability at spatial and temporal scales, require accurate assessment and forecasting. There is an urgent need to continuously monitor the intensifying warming impacts of urban areas on land surfaces, from local to global scales, using active and passive spaceborne sensors, UAV monitoring systems, and high-quality field data. Remote sensing has emerged as the most significant technology for quantifying the dynamics of atmospheric composition and its relationship with other climate change-induced variations in meteorological parameters. Satellite remote sensing has generated a new era of observations, providing multiscale information on essential climate variables (ECVs), which are independent of in-field measurements and model simulations. Major advances in recent decades are providing better constraints on atmospheric composition (greenhouse gases, aerosols), short-term forecasting, urban ecosystem processes, and climate modelling in urban areas. This new perspective enhances our understanding of climate change and supports decision making in combating it, which is especially important in the urban agglomerated areas where most people live. Further advances are needed for urban climate monitoring, such as a greater integration of satellite data, validated with in situ data and models. This Special Issue aims to demonstrate the rapid advancement of remote sensing to address global sustainability changes, aligning with sustainable developments goals, and contribute to urban climate sustainability and resilience.

This Special Issue aims to collate studies covering different remote sensing uses with different sensors and platforms in urban climate sciences. The topics may cover anything from the classical estimation of climate variables at the local, regional, and global levels to more complex aims and scales. Hence, multisource data integration (e.g., multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal), multiscale approaches, or studies focused on urban atmosphere monitoring, among other issues, are welcome.

The articles may address but are not limited to the following topics:

• Urbanization and climate warming;
• Multisensor remote sensing monitoring of urban air pollution;
• Aerosol climatology from multi-platform remote sensing;
• Urban climate monitoring at the micro- and macroscale and modelling;
• Urban thermal environments;
• Urban heat islands and heat waves;
• Urban green and blue spaces and their impact on the climate;
• Mapping of urban land cover changes;
• Urban climate’s impact on health;
• Satellite observations of urban biophysical parameters;
• Urban climate hazards;
• Urban climatology and land-use planning;
• Urban climate sustainability;
• Socioeconomic aspects of urban climate change.

Prof. Dr. Maria Zoran
Dr. Marina N.M. Tautan
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. Remote Sensing 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 2700 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.

• urban climate
• remote sensing
• aerosols and clouds
• greenhouse gases
• urban greening
• urban thermal environment
• urban ecosystem–climate interaction
• urban land cover changes
• urban climate sustainability