About Future Cities
Aims and scope
By 2050, approximately two-thirds of the global population will reside in urban areas, according to the UN. The rise of AI, big data, and the Internet of Things will transform these spaces into smart, interconnected cities. Future cities must tackle a range of environmental challenges such as air pollution, biodiversity loss, and hazards as a result of climate change and conflict-related hazards, as well as issues related to water, food, and energy security, and social and economic inequalities. Addressing these challenges will require both the redevelopment of existing cities and the creation of new, future-ready urban environments.
Future Cities is an inherently multidisciplinary journal, engaging many research communities and linking various fields and sectors to tackle the complex, interconnected challenges facing cities now and in the future.
Key topics
The journal focuses on, but is not limited to, the following topics:
- Urban resilience
- Sustainable urban development and circularity
- Urban management
- Sustainable infrastructure
- People-centric, inclusive, and participatory urbanism
- Digitalisation and smart technologies in cities
- Climate change and cities
- Speculative and visionary urban futures (cross-cutting)
Future Cities welcomes submissions from a broad range of disciplines, including but not limited to:
- Civil, structural, and environmental engineering
- Architecture, urban design, and spatial planning
- Geography, sociology, and political science
- Digital technologies, computer science, and AI
- Public health, economics, and governance
- Climate science, ecology, and sustainability studies
Interdisciplinary approach
This interdisciplinary approach is vital for achieving the journal’s goal of fostering resilient, sustainable, people-centred, and economically viable urban futures. It will facilitate the development of integrative frameworks encompassing physical infrastructure, social systems, and digital innovation.
Real-world impact
Future Cities aims to generate significant real-world impact by bridging academic rigour with practical relevance. The journal prioritises research that informs urban policy, design, and practice, while supporting cross-sector collaboration among researchers, city planners, engineers, architects, technologists, and community stakeholders.
To express interest in publishing your research, or guest editing a special issue in Future Cities, please get in touch.
