Sustainable Urban Development for Transportation Analysis, Smart Cities, and Disaster Resilience

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid urbanization has brought about significant challenges and opportunities for cities globally. As urban areas expand, sustainable development practices are crucial in accommodating growth and enhancing residents' quality of life. This Special Issue focuses on transportation analysis, smart city technologies, and disaster resilience—critical areas for creating efficient, adaptive, and resilient urban environments.

Transportation analysis is vital in optimizing urban mobility, reducing congestion, lowering emissions, and improving accessibility. Smart city technologies leverage advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance urban infrastructure and services, making cities more efficient and livable. Disaster resilience involves preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters, ensuring that urban areas can withstand, and quickly recover from, adverse events. Together, these fields form the backbone of sustainable urban development, addressing immediate needs while safeguarding future generations.

This Special Issue aims to advance our understanding and applications of sustainable urban development principles, focusing on transportation analysis, smart cities, and disaster resilience. By addressing these interconnected themes, this Special Issue will contribute to the broader discourse on sustainable development within Sustainability’s scope, which is dedicated to exploring innovative solutions for contemporary urban challenges.

This Special Issue aligns with the journal's commitment to publishing high-quality research that offers practical and theoretical insights into urban sustainability. It will emphasize the combination of technology, policy, and community engagement to create sustainable urban environments. The goal is to provide a comprehensive platform for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and propose solutions to enhance cities' sustainability and resilience worldwide.

For this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Sustainable Transportation Analysis
• Strategies for reducing urban traffic congestion and emissions;
• Evaluation of public transportation systems and their sustainability;
• Incorporation of non-motorized transport modes (e.g., cycling, walking);
• Smart mobility solutions and their impact on urban environments;
• Innovations in transportation infrastructure and design.
2. Smart Cities and Urban Technologies
• Implementation of ICT in urban infrastructure;
• Role of the Internet of Things (IoT) in enhancing urban services;
• Smart grids and their impact on energy efficiency;
• Data analytics and urban informatics for smart city planning;
• Cybersecurity challenges in smart cities.
3. Disaster Resilience and Urban Safety
• Risk assessment and management strategies for urban areas;
• Role of urban planning in disaster preparedness and mitigation;
• Technologies for early-warning systems and disaster response;
• Community engagement and education in disaster resilience;
• Post-disaster recovery and reconstruction strategies.
4. Integration and Policy Development
• Policies and regulations promoting sustainable urban development;
• Cross-disciplinary approaches to urban sustainability;
• Economic and social implications of sustainable urban policies;
• Case studies on integrated urban development projects;
• Public–private partnerships in urban sustainability initiatives.
5. Environmental Sustainability and Green Infrastructure
• Urban green spaces and their benefits for sustainability;
• Sustainable building practices and materials;
• Water management and conservation in urban settings;
• Waste management and recycling programs;
• Urban agriculture and food security.
6. Social Dimensions of Urban Sustainability
• Equity and inclusivity in urban planning;
• Community-based approaches to sustainable development;
• Social innovation and participatory governance in cities;
• Health and wellbeing in sustainable urban environments;
• Housing affordability and sustainable urban growth.
7. Technological Innovations and Future Trends
• Emerging technologies for urban sustainability;
• Digital twins and their applications in urban planning;
• Blockchain technology in urban management;
• Smart waste management systems;
• Future trends in sustainable urban development.
8. Economic Aspects of Urban Sustainability
• Economic incentives for sustainable practices;
• Urban economic resilience and development;
• Impact of sustainability on property values;
• Sustainable tourism in urban settings;
• Economic analysis of sustainable transportation systems.

For this Special Issue, we encourage submissions that offer innovative solutions, summarize current empirical research, or provide comprehensive reviews contributing to sustainable urban development. By focusing on transportation analysis, smart cities, and disaster resilience, this Special Issue will highlight the critical intersections that will define the future of urban sustainability.

Dr. Mohammed N. Abdulrazaq Alshekhly
Guest Editor

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.

• smart cities
• environment and sustainability
• renewable energy and green technology
• internet of things (IoT)
• robotics
• biomedical sciences
• healthcare monitoring applications