The Relationship Between Landscape Sustainability and Urban Ecology

Editors: Luigi La Riccia (DIST, SDG11lab) and Angioletta Voghera (DIST)

Dr. Luigi La Riccia and Prof. Angioletta Voghera are guest editors of Land Journal (MDPI) for the Special Issue “The Relationship Between Landscape Sustainability and Urban Ecology”

The call for paper is now open at:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/special_issues/8TC9M3DF4A

Special Issue Information:
The accelerated pace of urbanisation and the advent of the global pandemic have elevated the concepts of landscape sustainability and urban ecology for environmental and urban and regional planning practices. The expansion of urban areas presents an array of mounting challenges to the natural environment, both within the city limits and in the surrounding peri-urban regions. The two fields share the objective of creating resilient and sustainable urban environments, but they adopt different approaches to achieve this goal. The concept of landscape sustainability is concerned with the long-term health and functionality of landscapes, with the objective of ensuring that they are able to support both human and ecological needs. The key principles that underpin this concept include the maintenance of biodiversity, the promotion of ecosystem services, and the enhancement of resilience to environmental changes and disturbances. The objective of sustainable landscapes is to provide multifunctional benefits, including clean air and water, recreational spaces, and habitats for wildlife. The field of urban ecology concerns the interactions between living organisms and their urban environments. It integrates ecological principles with urban and regional planning in order to understand the impact of urbanisation processes on ecosystems and to design cities in a way that supports ecological networks. It is imperative that sustainable landscapes are established in order to maintain ecological balance within urban areas. By incorporating ecological principles into landscape design, urban planners can create environments that support both human well-being and biodiversity. For example, green infrastructure such as parks, green roofs, and urban forests can enhance urban resilience by providing ecosystem services like stormwater management, temperature regulation, and habitat connectivity.
The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) that provide insights into the complex interrelationship between landscape sustainability and urban ecology, with a specific emphasis being placed on resilience and the emerging challenges confronting urban planners. The objective is to collate pioneering research and pragmatic applications that illustrate how sustainable landscape practices and urban ecological principles can be integrated to create resilient, sustainable urban environments. The objective of this Special Issue is to provide insights and solutions that can inform policy, planning, and design strategies in urban contexts by addressing the aforementioned themes.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link (but are not limited to) the following themes:

Urban Landscape Sustainability and Resilience: in terms of the integration of ecological principles with urban planning and design to enhance urban resilience, biodiversity, urban ecological networks, and multi-functionality.
Green Infrastructures, Protected Areas, and Ecosystem Services: the role of green spaces, green roofs, and urban forests in enhancing urban sustainability.
Socio-Ecological Interactions: the impact of sustainable landscapes on human well-being and community.
Sustainability and Smartness of Cities and Landscapes: Geoinformation, remote sensing methods and techniques, spatial data infrastructures, and digital twins.

Submission deadline: 31 October 2025