Call for Contributions - Special Issue of the  International Journal of Healthy Space

Call for Contributions

 

Special Issue of the 

International Journal of Healthy Space

Guest Editors Simon Bell, Gayle Souter-Brown and Maryam Naghibi

 

Healthy Urban Landscapes: Designing for Well-being through Evidence and Practice

 

The International Journal of Healthy Space, in collaboration with the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Work Programme 17: Urban Health, invites submissions for a special issue on the role of landscape architecture and urban design in advancing human health and wellbeing in cities.

 

The International Journal of Healthy Space is a newly founded open access academic journal, co-hosted by the University of Edinburgh and Beijing Institute of Technology. For the special issue Article Processing Charges will be waived. More information can be found here: http://www.hwipgl.com/h-col-120.html

 

Focus of the Special Issue:

This issue seeks scholarly and practice-based contributions that critically examine the relationship between the urban landscape and human health and well-being. Authors are encouraged to draw on empirical evidence, completed projects, and interdisciplinary research to highlight how design interventions can mitigate urban health risks, support wellbeing, and promote resilient, inclusive communities.

We welcome research papers, critical reviews of case studies, comparative analyses, methodological reflections, and theoretical contributions that connect research to practice and demonstrate the tangible impact of urban landscapes on health and well-being.

 

Themes:

Aligned with the IFLA Urban Health and Well-being Working Group’s scope, the special issue will explore:

  • Urban environmental stressors and well-being: The role of design in addressing air pollution, urban heat, soundscapes (including natural and manufactured sounds), views, and microclimate.

  • Lifestyle, behaviour, and urban form: Tackling challenges such as physical inactivity, screen time, indoor living, and social isolation through spatial design.

  • Blue and green infrastructure for health and Well-being: Planning- and project-level approaches to integrating natural systems that promote wellbeing and climate adaptation.

  • Community-based practice: Participatory and co-design processes that engage residents, particularly vulnerable groups, in shaping healthier environments.

·       Innovative practice and methods: Cutting-edge tools, frameworks, and evaluative approaches for understanding, mapping, and measuring therapeutic landscapes.

  • Best practice case studies: Documented projects from around the world that exemplify the potential of landscape design to enhance physical, mental, and social health and Well-being.

Submission Guidelines

  • Manuscripts should be up to 7000 words in length, including references.

  • Submissions may be research papers, case study reports, reviews or reflective essays connecting evidence with practice.

  • All contributions should follow academic standards, including appropriate referencing.

  • All contributions will be double-blind peer reviewed

 

Timeline

·       Call for Contributions announced: mid-October 2025

·       Abstract submissions (300–400 words): Rolling from mid-October 2025 onward

·       Full papers: Reviewed and published on a rolling basis throughout 2025–2026

·       Finalizations of the special issue: Summer / early autumn 2026

NewsSally RobertshawCall for papers, Healthy Urban Landscapes, Wellbeing, Working Programmes, WP, Simon Bell, Dr Gayle Souter-Brown