Urban Transformations is an inter- and transdisciplinary open access journal. We offer a publishing and discussion platform for people engaged in science, policy and practice, targeting real-life impact. We invite contributions that address transformative urban change in the global North and South, and help to practically shape it towards sustainability.
Aims and scope
Urban transformations are of vital importance for the future of humanity and ecosystem Earth. They demand deep and accelerated changes in urban patterns and processes across all spheres of life, and from local to global. New knowledge on the subject, dynamics and directions of urban change is dearly needed to shift current development trajectories in the global North and South towards sustainability.
We invite contributions from any disciplines addressing these issues. The journal seeks to deepen and broaden current understandings theoretically, empirically and methodologically. There is a need for novel perspectives, drawing on ontological and epistemological multiplicity, inter- and transdisciplinary approaches. We welcome comparative research designs, as well as innovative methods and techniques. Special attention will be given to outcomes from science-practice co-production and co-design.
We welcome the following article types:
- Research Original research work on the subject, dynamics or direction of urban transformations.
- Review Reviews explore, question, interpret or synthesize the available urban transformation literature on a selected topic.
- Analysis propose new research topics, approaches or concepts for advancing the science and practice of urban transformations.
- Perspective Short discussions that present thought-provoking arguments from researchers or practitioners.
- Case Studies Succinct and informative reports on outstanding practice cases of urban transformations.
Open article collections
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Real-World Laboratories as Spaces of Sustainability Transformations: A Relational Perspective
Guest Editors:
Markus Egermann, PhD, Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Germany
Philip Bernert, PhD, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Germany
Franziska Ehnert, PhD, Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Germany
Verena Hermelingmeier, PhD, Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, Germany
Susanne Ober, MSc, Karlsruher Institute for Technology, Germany
Niko Schäpke, PhD, University of Freiburg, Germany
Timo von Wirth, PhD, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, GermanySubmission Status: Open until 30 September 2025
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Urban Experimentation and Learning. Green, Sustainable and Just Transformative Capacities?
Guest Editors:
Enza Lissandrello, PhD, Aalborg University, Denmark
Pia Laborgne, PhD, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Jonas Bylund, PhD, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Nacima Baron, PhD, Gustave Eiffel University, France
Submission Status: Open until 5 June 2025 -
Co-creation and co-production for transforming towns and cities with nature-based solutions
Guest Editors: Marcus J. Collier and Clair Cooper
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Food transformations in African secondary cities
Guest Editors: Jonathan Crush and Liam Riley
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Platform urbanism
Guest Editors: Federico Caprotti and I-Chun Catherine Chang
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Beyond Urban Living Labs: The making of transformative urban innovation systems
Guest Editors: Marc Wolfram, Joe Ravetz and Christian Scholl
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Co-producing urban sustainability transitions
Guest Editors: Niki Frantzeskaki and Marcus Collier
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Transformative turn in planning
Guest Editors: Marc Wolfram and Markus Egermann
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Editors' selection
Urban governance arrangements for sustainability and justice – linking theory with experience
Jakob Kramer, Sophia Silverton & Philipp Späth (2024)
Contribute to our open article collections
Our ongoing article collections focus on selected topics and are open for submissions on a continuous basis.
Note: article collections can also be referred to as special issues or thematic collections.
Browse all articles
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An innovative participatory policymaking approach using Open Studios: the creation of “Ecosystems of Care”
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Ripple: a scalable, radically inclusive, and transdisciplinary approach for engaged design research on climate action
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Evaluating the efficacy of small-plot restorative management in an urban park using low-tech soundscape tools: an exploratory study
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What factors enable or limit the role of intermediaries in strengthening transformative capacities? Case studies of intermediaries in two Cambodian cities
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Perspectives on urban transformation research: transformations in, of, and by cities
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Scaling the impact of sustainability initiatives: a typology of amplification processes
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Beyond the smart city: a typology of platform urbanism
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Shifting landscapes of coastal flood risk: environmental (in)justice of urban change, sea level rise, and differential vulnerability in New York City
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Understanding how city networks are leveraging climate action: experimentation through C40
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Annual Journal Metrics
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Speed 2024
Submission to first editorial decision (median days): 55
Submission to acceptance (median days): 287Usage 2024
Downloads: 85,570
Altmetric mentions: 53
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