Multi-sensory Environmental Performance and Thermal Comfort of Urban Spaces

Dear Colleagues,

The year 2023 has now been confirmed as the hottest year on records, with extreme weather events further fueling the climate-driven migration crisis. With over 50% of the population already dwelling in urban environments, it is imperative that the environment of cities and the impact of the resulting conditions on people provide an important point of consideration, through which adaptation and resilience are addressed.

By shifting the focus to people, considering the dynamic interactions and perceptions of various environmental stimuli can provide a more comprehensive framework for the design of the built environment.

The aim of this Special Issue is to redefine our approach to the design of urban environments, encompassing approaches beyond the balance of energy and human physiology. Transcending the disciplinary silos between the physical and social sciences and the humanities, along with theoretical and design studies, we are welcoming submissions that explore the mechanisms through which our adaptive capacity can be enhanced in the urban environment, either through the consideration of the individual senses (thermal, visual, acoustic, olfactory and beyond) or considering their interplay synergistically in different climates, places, as well as diverse socio-economic environments. 

We welcome submissions on such innovative, interdisciplinary and diverse approaches, focusing on urban comfort and people’s experiences; this is through the lense of theory, methodology and practice, and also includes policy developments and design-led investigations. Approaches that support inclusive design and addressing social inequalities in this framework are particularly welcome.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following themes:

• Environmental Diversity
• Climate Walks
• Multisensory Navigation
• Outdoor Thermal Comfort
• Smellscapes
• Soundscapes
• Sensory Urbanism
• Inclusive Design
• Social Inequality and Social Justice

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Marialena Nikolopoulou
Dr. Carolina Vasilikou
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 quarterly 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.

• sensory design
• outdoor thermal comfort
• extreme climate
• architectural and environmental sustainability
• sustainable environmental design
• urban design
• climate literacy
• health and wellbeing
• social justice and behavioural studies
• equity
• resilient landscapes
• materials
• resilience and care
• landscape architecture