Social-Ecological Urban Transformation for Climate Resilience: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Innovations

The rapid expansion of urban populations has resulted in complex social-ecological systems that face significant challenges, particularly tied to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Issues such as housing inequities, ecosystem degradation, and the vulnerabilities within urban infrastructure underscore the urgent need for comprehensive approaches that enhance resilience in these systems. Recent advancements in urban social-ecological research, climate-responsive infrastructures, and nature-based solutions provide new pathways to improve urban sustainability. By utilizing data-driven methods—like remote sensing and citizen science—alongside climate-adaptive housing models and participatory urban planning, innovative solutions can bolster the adaptive capacity of urban environments.

This Research Topic aims to probe the intricate connections between social, ecological, and technological components in urban settings and their implications for fostering climate resilience and transformation. By promoting interdisciplinary dialogue, the collection will offer valuable insights into evidence-based strategies for social-ecological transformation in urban regions, enhancing our understanding of adaptation pathways essential for sustainability, biodiversity, and human well-being in cities worldwide.

To gather further insights into the boundaries and limitations of contemporary urban social-ecological systems, this Research Topic concentrates on multiple thematic areas:

• Conceptual and theoretical frameworks incorporating new empirical knowledge about urban social-ecological systems and climate resilience
• The influence of housing and infrastructure patterns on urban ecosystem functions and climate vulnerability
• The role of urban green spaces in adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and public health
• Quantitative evaluations of urban system changes from a social-ecological perspective, incorporating scenario modeling
• The convergence of technological innovations, citizen science, and remote sensing in advancing social-ecological transformation
• The multifaceted effects of current climate changes on urban systems, notably changes in biodiversity and associated ecosystem services
We invite contributions from urban ecologists, environmental scientists, urban planners, climate adaptation specialists, and social scientists. Authors may submit original research, systematic reviews, modeling studies, and case analyses, all aimed at offering evidence-based insights toward developing more resilient and transformative urban systems in response to climate change.
toward developing more resilient and transformative urban systems in response to climate change.

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: Urban resilience, social-ecological systems, climate adaptation, nature-based solutions, urban green infrastructure, citizen science, urban sustainability, participatory planning

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.