Territorial Transitions to Sustainability: Ground-Breaking Strategies Across Urban, Rural, and Regional Contexts

Sustainability transitions (STs) are neither linear nor uniform processes. Their trajectories are profoundly shaped by local contexts, institutional landscapes, and socio-spatial dynamics. The territorial dimension – spanning dense metropolitan areas, intermediate cities, rural hinterlands, and peripheral regions – plays a pivotal role in determining both the capacity and direction of ecological, economic, and social transformations. This Research Topic welcomes theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions that explore how spatial contexts and place-based strategies shape STs. We are particularly interested in research that examines how territorial governance, regional innovation systems, and spatial inequalities influence the pace, depth, and inclusivity of transitions across different geographies.

While much of the existing STs scholarship has been rooted in case studies from the Global North, we aim to diversify this discourse by encouraging submissions that address geographically differentiated challenges and opportunities – especially in underrepresented regions of the Global South and in cross-regional comparative analyses. Contributions that reflect on urban-rural interdependencies, uneven transition capacities, and policy mechanisms tailored to local territorial realities are especially welcome.

Aims of the Collection:

1. To highlight the role of geography in shaping diverse sustainability transition trajectories.
2. To identify local, regional, and national contexts where spatial disparities affect access to sustainable development.
3. To examine territorial innovations in energy, urban systems, transport, agri-food, and circular economy transitions.

Key Themes:

1. Spatial Dynamics of Transitions. Comparative studies from the Global North and South examining why transitions succeed in some territories and stall in others.
2. Urban and Regional Innovation. Research on urban living labs, green infrastructure, and community-led transition strategies, especially those addressing inequalities in marginalized areas.
3. Health-Environment Nexus: Studies linking public health resilience with environmental policy interventions, especially in climate-vulnerable or polluted regions.
4. Transboundary Sustainability Governance. Analyses of cross-border policies, regional climate strategies, and governance models fostering resilience across spatial scales.
5. Data, Geotechnologies, and Citizen Science. GIS-based insights, citizen engagement tools, and spatial indicators connecting sustainability efforts to health and equity outcomes.

We welcome original research articles, critical reviews, case studies, and conceptual essays that explore these themes through theoretical, methodological, or empirical lenses. Submissions with integrated, territorial, or transdisciplinary perspectives are especially encouraged, particularly those addressing applied strategies across scales — from local to regional.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Sustainability transitions, Territorial governance, Spatial inequalities, Place-based strategies, Urban-rural interdependencies, Regional innovation systems, Climate resilience, Circular economy, Spatial dynamics, Comparative studies (Global North and South), Citizen science, GIS and geotechnologies, Health-environment nexus

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.