Dear Colleagues,

Continued inquiry into the dynamics of climate over the last century has improved our understanding of its impacts. However, with increasing urbanization, urban migration, and more pronounced issues related to equity, health, and climate change, cities now face immediate and long-term risks, vulnerabilities, and challenges. This now requires urgent system-level solutions to close the gaps between the diagnosis of climate-related urban challenges and the identification and implementation of appropriate solutions for sustainable futures for our cities. Such climate-related urban solutions can be better designed with multidisciplinary approaches that provide co-benefits and reduce unintended consequences. Some examples of hazards faced by cities relate to potential air quality, heat, and extreme precipitation (flood). This Special Issue provides a collection of scholarly articles that focus on improving climate-related urban sustainability and resiliency at scales for humans and ecosystems to thrive. Topics of interest to this Issue include but are not limited to:

• Urban climate modeling using dynamical or statistical methods for adaptation and mitigation;
• Evaluation of “what if” urban planning scenarios for urban climate impacts;
• Role of green infrastructure in reducing climate vulnerabilities for urban communities;
• Interdisciplinary urban research at the intersection of climate and environmental justice issues ranging from vulnerability to heat, air quality, crime, and public health;
• Development of GIS-based toolkits and methodologies for interdisciplinary urban research;
• Development of integrated methodologies across social, natural, and engineered systems to improve climate resiliency in urban communities.

Overall, this Special Issue crosscuts multiple urban sustainability and resiliency themes, with climate change as a driver of change and a key ingredient in the research and experimental design. The articles in this Special Issue will guide urban planners and stakeholders in the development of sustainable urban solutions for cities of all sizes, ranging from large cities to small towns. 

Dr. Ashish Sharma
Guest Editor

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• urban
• sustainability
• climate
• resiliency
• adaptation
• mitigation
• heat
• air quality
• precipitation
• modeling