As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of The International Association for China Planning (IACP), we reflect on two decades of groundbreaking research, policy innovation, and transformative practices in urban planning. Over the years, urban landscapes have evolved in response to rapid technological advancements, shifting socio-economic dynamics, and pressing environmental challenges. This Special Issue, entitled “Two Decades of Urban Planning Innovations: Reflecting on Progress and Envisioning the Future,” aims to provide a platform for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to critically assess past achievements and discuss future trajectories of urban planning.
Urban planning today operates at the nexus of sustainability, resilience, technology, and inclusivity. The past two decades have witnessed the proliferation of smart city initiatives, data-driven decision-making, and community-driven planning processes. As we look to the future, how can cities further harness emerging technologies, equitable development strategies, and interdisciplinary collaborations to foster sustainable and livable urban environments?
This Special Issue invites contributions that explore the historical evolution, present state, and future directions of urban planning across multiple dimensions. Through a collection of research articles, case studies, and policy reviews, we aim to provide a comprehensive examination of the lessons learned and the challenges ahead for urban planning in the 21st century.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
Ⅰ Urban Development and Urban Form Change
- Reviews for urbanization evolution under globalization, policy shifts, and demographic changes
- Climate resilience, disaster adaptation, and sustainable urban futures
- Smart city technologies and data-driven urban governance
- Post-pandemic urban transformations and shifts in mobility patterns
- Urban spatial innovation through new economic models
Ⅱ Urban planning system transformation
- China’s spatial planning system: territorial spatial planning
- Planning methodology innovation in cross-regional contexts
- Transport network planning and urban connectivity
- Public-private partnerships in urban renewal and infrastructure planning
- Intersections of AI, big data, and urban planning
Ⅲ Urban Planning Education Reform
- Sustainable development-oriented planning education and practice
- AI and big data-driven planning education
- Global perspectives on planning education: comparative insights and practices
- Localization adaptive planning education
- Interdisciplinary urban planning education
The journal’s submission platform Editorial Manager® is now available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue. Please refer to the Submission guidelines (https://link.springer.com/journal/44243/submission-guidelines) to prepare your manuscript. When submitting a manuscript via Editorial Manager, under the Additional Information tab, “Are you submitting this manuscript to a Thematic Series?” Answer “Yes” and select the Thematic Series ” Two Decades of Urban Planning Innovations”.
To ensure your article is reviewed and published within 2025, we kindly request that you complete your submission online by September 30, 2025, through the following link: https://www.editorialmanager.com/furp/default.aspx. However, if you need more time, we also welcome your submissions until March 31, 2026, and may consider them for inclusion in our future issues.
We sincerely invite you to submit your original work to this special issue and are looking forward to sharing your outstanding research outcomes with the peers around the world.
Important Dates:
Submission opens: April 24, 2025
Full paper submission deadline: March 31, 2026
Manuscript Submission Information: https://www.editorialmanager.com/furp/default.aspx
Guest Editors
Guest Editor: Qisheng Pan
Affiliation: Department of Public Affairs and Planning, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas
Email: qisheng.pan@uta.edu
Guest Editor: Tom Sanchez
Affiliation: College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, Texas
Email: twsanchez@exchange.tamu.edu
Guest Editor: Wei Zhai
Affiliation: College of Engineering and Integrated Design, University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas
Email: wei.zhai@utsa.edu
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