Sustainability in Urban Climate Change and Ecosystem Services

Dear Colleagues,

Urban areas, which are hubs of human settlement, activity, and economic growth, rely on ecosystem services such as clean air and water, regulating extreme climate, supporting biodiversity, and providing food. However, rapid urbanization and escalating climate might pose great challenges to ecosystem services. For example, heat waves and changes in seasonal rainfall patterns can disrupt the productivity and sustainability of urban ecosystems. Urbanization can lead to the loss and fragmentation of urban green spaces, further disrupting biodiversity and increasing flooding frequency. Changes in urban ecosystem service can, in turn, affect urban climate and human well-being. A deep understanding of the complex interplays between climate change and ecosystem services is essential for developing resilient strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change and to ensure the sustainable development of urban environments.

This Special Issue, focusing on urban climate change, urbanization, and ecosystem services, aims to advance our understanding of their complex interactions. We welcome studies that bridge the gap between climate change, urban development, ecosystem services, and their impacts on various sectors, informing adaptation strategies and risk assessments. Both original research articles and reviews are welcome. Topics relevant to this Special Issue include (but are not limited to):

• climate and urbanization modeling;
• the observation and projection of ecosystem services under climate change and urbanization;
• changes in frequency and intensity of urban climate extremes;
• impacts of climate extremes on ecosystem services;
• strategies for mitigating urban climate change and promoting urban ecosystem services.

We welcome interdisciplinary studies that integrate climate science, hydrology, ecology, geography, engineering, and social sciences to provide holistic insights into addressing the challenges of urban climate change.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Haicheng Zhang
Dr. Jinxin Zhu
Dr. Guotao Cui
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.