Global cities are facing escalating climate challenges. Rapid urbanization and increasingly frequent extreme weather events are intensifying risks to urban systems and human well-being. This special issue focuses on five BRICS member countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—which span diverse climatic and geographical contexts and face shared yet context-specific climate risks, including flooding, water scarcity, water pollution, and urban heat stress. The Sponge City concept and related approaches, such as sustainable urban drainage systems, low-impact development, and water-sensitive urban design, have emerged as important pathways that integrate nature-based solutions (NbS) to enhance urban water resilience and climate adaptability. This special issue aims to facilitate knowledge exchange across BRICS countries and the broader Global South by exploring theoretical developments, technological innovations, governance mechanisms, and landscape practices for climate-resilient urban development.
The special issue welcomes contributions on the following themes:
1) Theoretical evolution and policy comparison of Sponge City approaches in BRICS countries: Compare policies, standards, evaluation frameworks, and socio-economic drivers of Sponge City approaches and related stormwater management practices.
2) Climate-adaptive Sponge City technologies across regions: Explore localized Sponge City strategies and resilience approaches across diverse climatic regions and under extreme weather conditions.
3) NbS and landscape responses for climate adaptation: Examine green-blue-gray infrastructure integration and landscape interventions for ecological, aesthetic, and social benefits.
4) Governance and participation in Sponge City development: Investigate collaborative governance, community engagement, and mechanisms for climate justice and spatial equity.
5) Digital technologies for climate-adaptive landscape design: Explore digital twins, artificial intelligence, and data-driven approaches for Sponge City planning, simulation, and performance evaluation.
Keywords
BRICS; Sponge City; Climate Adaptation; Urban Resilience; Nature-based Solutions; Stormwater Management; Global South; Water-Sensitive Urban Design; Adaptive Governance; Green Infrastructure
Guest Editors
Sisi WANG
Professor and PhD Supervisor, School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Research interests: Sponge City, resilient urban development
Email: wangsisi@bucea.edu.cn
Wei FU
Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Research interests: Ecological security and resilience development, spatial optimization under integrated disaster mitigation strategies, and the integration of artificial intelligence with spatial analysis technologies
Email: fuwei@bucea.edu.cn
Zhe SUN
Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Research interests: Climate-resilient governance of territorial spatial planning, climate-adaptive planning of rural landscapes
Email: sunzhe@bucea.edu.cn
Submission Deadline
June 30, 2027
Authors are warmly invited to submit manuscripts for this special issue through the online submission system of Landscape Architecture Frontiers. During the submission process, please select the corresponding Special Issue, “Sponge Cities in BRICS Countries: Multidimensional Climate Adaptation and Resilient Futures,” to ensure that your manuscript is properly considered for this collection.
Submission Guidelines
Please refer to the author guidelines for detailed submission requirements:
https://journal.hep.com.cn/laf/EN/authorsguidelines
Online Submission System
Manuscripts can be submitted through the online submission portal:
https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/lafrontiers
About the Journal
For more information about Landscape Architecture Frontiers, please visit:
https://journal.hep.com.cn/laf/EN
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the special issue or submission process, please feel free to contact us at: