Advances in Physical Environments and Low-Carbon Technologies

The physical environment of buildings and cities—including sound, light, thermal comfort, and air quality—is fundamental to human health, productivity, and overall quality of life. At the same time, the imperative to mitigate climate change is accelerating the adoption of low-carbon technologies, such as passive design strategies, renewable energy integration, and next-generation building systems.

Cutting-edge research in urban microclimates, computational modeling, and smart building technologies is revealing new opportunities to achieve win–win solutions for environmental comfort and energy performance. However, balancing occupant well-being, energy efficiency, and carbon reduction across various climatic, cultural, and social contexts remains a multifaceted challenge—one that demands bold, multidisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

Aims and Scope

The sustainable development of the built environment is increasingly shaped by the pressures of climate change, urbanization, and the growing demand for healthy, resilient spaces. A holistic approach—considering acoustic, lighting, and thermal environments alongside advanced low-carbon technologies—is essential. Advances in building physics, urban microclimate analysis, and renewable energy systems are opening new pathways for optimizing both environmental quality and carbon performance.

This Research Topic aims to bring together original research, critical reviews, and case studies exploring the intersection of physical environments and low-carbon technologies. We particularly welcome contributions that employ computational simulation, performance modeling, and AI-driven analytics to accelerate the design and deployment of sustainable built environments.

Themes

Potential themes for submission include, but are not limited to:
o Optimization of acoustic, lighting, and thermal environments in buildings and urban spaces
o Urban microclimate analysis and its implications for environmental design
o Passive and active low-carbon building technologies
o Integration of renewable energy systems in the built environment
o Design strategies for healthy, comfortable, and energy-efficient spaces
o Simulation, modeling, and performance assessment tools, including digital twins and AI-powered platforms
o Policy, standards, and best practices for sustainable environmental quality in architecture and urban design

Invitation

We invite the submission of novel research findings, review articles, and practical case studies that advance the understanding or implementation of healthy physical environments and low-carbon, high-performance solutions for buildings and cities. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration—from architecture and urban planning to engineering and computer science—this collection seeks to shape the theory, tools, and practices that will guide the next generation of sustainable built environments.

Article types and fees

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

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... 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
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Low-carbon Technologies, Energy Efficiency, Urban microclimate, Acoustic, Lighting, Thermal Environments

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.