Special Issue on Urban and Rural Green Infrastructure–Landscape Regeneration Futures

Introduction:

Against the increasingly urgent backdrop of global climate change, ecological degradation, and the call for sustainable development, Green Infrastructure (GI) has evolved from conceptual discussion to in-depth practice, emerging as a comprehensive landscape planning paradigm that integrates ecological, social, and economic systems. Currently, we are moving beyond the confines of asking “what GI is” or merely assessing “what GI does,” and shifting our focus to “how GI can reshape the urban-rural future.” This involves exploring how to propel GI from a “peripheral supplement” to a “systemic core” through innovative land management strategies, cross-sectoral collaboration mechanisms, value quantification tools, and social engagement models. This Special Issue encourages breaking through traditional disciplinary boundaries by integrating ecology, engineering, sociology, economics, and governance studies to explore innovative pathways for GI in waste regeneration, commercial value transformation, performance evaluation systems, and socio-cultural diversity. Of particular note is that this special Issue aims not only to introduce cutting-edge international interdisciplinary thinking but, more importantly, to present innovative paradigms from local practices in addressing complex urban-rural issues. By doing so, we hope that voices from diverse cultural and institutional backgrounds can collectively shape a more inclusive, resilient, and just future for the global landscape.

Topics covered:

• Theoretical Research: Reviews of urban-rural green infrastructure, relevant planning theories, socio-ecological assessment methods, multi-scale spatial layout strategies, etc.
• Policy and Governance: Policy support systems for urban-rural green infrastructure, cross-sectoral collaboration mechanisms, public participation models, and spatial vitality, etc.
• Technology and Methods: Applications of GIS analysis, ecological simulation, Low Impact Development (LID) techniques, and smart landscape management in urban-rural green infrastructure.
• Future Prospects: Development potential, mechanisms, and new paradigms for urban-rural green infrastructure in the context of climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and carbon neutrality goals.

Important deadlines:

Submission deadline: 1 May 2027

Publication date: September 2027

Submission instructions:

Please read the Guide for Authors before submitting. All articles should be submitted online, please select [Urban-Rural Green Infrastructure Futures] on submission.

Guest editors:

• Dr. Ian Mell, Professor, University of Manchester, UK. Email: ian.mell@manchester.ac.uk
• Dr. Mengyixin Li, Associate Professor, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, China. Email: limengyixin@bucea.edu.cn