Special Issue on Resilient and Creative Brownfield Transformation

Brownfields regeneration has evolved into a multi-dimensional challenge requiring the integration of environmental science, landscape architecture, and art. In an era confronted by the climate crisis and the global drive toward carbon neutrality, the concept of resilience takes on a pivotal role. It transcends traditional remediation by ensuring that post-industrial sites can adapt to extreme weather, sequester carbon through nature-based solutions, and restore fractured ecosystems. However, technical recovery alone is insufficient to reintegrate these marginalized sites into the urban fabric. Creative transformation—driven by design thinking and artistic intervention—is the essential catalyst that turns biological remediation into meaningful public space. By synthesizing ecological resilience with creative strategies, this special issue investigates new possibilities for brownfield transformation. We aim to bridge the gap between rigorous environmental engineering and visionary design, showcasing how brownfields can simultaneously serve as ecological refugia, cultural landmarks, and community assets in a changing climate.

• Ecological restoration and nature-based solutions
• Climate-responsive remediation and carbon sequestration
• Creative design solutions and artistic interventions
• Adaptive reuse and urban resilience
• Interdisciplinary perspectives for complex systems
• Social impact and community identity
• Policy and governance on land reuse

Important deadlines:

• Submission deadline: April 30, 2026
• Publication date: September 2026

Submission instructions:

Please read the Guide for Authors before submitting. All articles should be submitted online, please select [Resilient and Creative Brownfield Transformation] on submission.

Guest editors:

• Prof. Xiaodi Zheng, Tsinghua University, China. Email: xzheng@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
• Prof. Niall Kirkwood, Harvard University, USA. Email: kirkwood@gsd.harvard.edu
• Prof. Quanchuan Fu, Beijing Jiaotong University, China. Email: qchfu@bjtu.edu.cn