Call For Papers
Urban and Building Science
Open and Reproducible Approaches for Urban Climate and Building Performance Modelling
Introduction Buildings and construction remain a major driver of global environmental change, accounting for approximately 34% of global CO₂ emissions and 32% of global energy consumption. At the same time, climate change, urban heat, and increasing environmental stressors are intensifying the need for robust, transparent, and scalable approaches to urban and building performance assessment. Advances in digital technologies, open-source computational tools, urban datasets, and interoperable workflows are transforming how researchers and practitioners investigate urban environments, evaluate mitigation strategies, and support evidence-based decision-making. As urban environmental modelling becomes increasingly data- and computation-intensive, reproducibility, interoperability, transparency, and reusable workflows are emerging as critical scientific challenges. While significant advances have been made in simulation platforms, digital twins, AI-assisted analytics, and urban-scale environmental modelling, methodological fragmentation, limited reproducibility, inconsistent data practices, and software interoperability barriers continue to hinder knowledge transfer and large-scale implementation across different climatic and urban contexts. This issue, “ Open and Reproducible Approaches for Urban Climate and Building Performance Modelling ”, aims to advance open and transferable urban environmental modelling ecosystems capable of supporting climate-responsive research and practice across different climatic and urban contexts. The issue welcomes innovative contributions addressing open, reproducible, and data-driven approaches for urban climate, building science, resilience, and sustainability research. Topics of interest include urban climate modelling and monitoring, outdoor thermal comfort, urban heat mitigation, building energy and environmental simulation, zero-carbon building and district decarbonisation modelling, materials and technologies, digital twins, GIS-based analysis, AI-assisted environmental assessment, uncertainty quantification, validation methodologies, open datasets, and decision-support systems for climate-responsive urban development. Particular emphasis is placed on methodological studies, benchmarking and validation research, interoperable workflows, software-oriented contributions, benchmark datasets, and reproducibility studies supporting transparent and reusable scientific practices. Contributions discussing uncertainty, limitations, and interoperability challenges are also encouraged. Collectively, these contributions will help advance more transparent, interoperable, and transferable urban environmental modelling practices. The Issue Themes This Issue aims to cover topics including, but not limited to, the following topics: Urban climate modelling, monitoring, and multi-scale analysis Urban heat island dynamics and mitigation strategies Outdoor thermal comfort and human-centric urban microclimate studies Building energy performance, zero carbon pathways, and district-scale decarbonisation modelling Cool materials, passive design, and urban heat mitigation technologies Digital twins, urban data platforms, and integrated simulation environments Open-source tools, interoperable workflows, and reproducible research practices Data-driven methods, AI, and machine learning for urban and building systems Validation, benchmarking, and uncertainty quantification in models and simulations Open datasets, measurement campaigns, and evidence-based decision-support systems Academic Editors Gloria Pignatta (g.pignatta@unsw.edu.au) Title: Scientia Senior Lecturer Affiliation: School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Australia Official website: https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/gloria-pignatta Gloria Pignatta is a Scientia Senior Lecturer in the School of Built Environment at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Australia, and leads the Advanced Modelling and Building Performance (AMBP) Research Laboratory. Her research focuses on developing innovative modelling frameworks and performance-driven approaches for climate-responsive, low-carbon, and resilient built environments. Her work integrates urban climate science, building performance simulation, microclimate modelling, passive cooling strategies, advanced materials, and climate-responsive design across building and urban scales. Through a combination of experimental investigations, computational modelling, and data-driven methodologies, she addresses challenges related to urban heat mitigation, thermal-energy performance, environmental quality, decarbonisation, and climate adaptation. Gloria holds a PhD in Energy Engineering from the University of Perugia, Italy, and has led and contributed to interdisciplinary European, Australian, and international research projects spanning urban microclimate modelling, building energy performance, positive energy districts, outdoor thermal comfort, cool materials, and sustainable urban development. Her research also addresses broader societal challenges associated with climate resilience, liveability, and energy equity. She actively collaborates with academic, industry, and government partners worldwide and has contributed to advancing climate-responsive building and urban sustainability research through innovative approaches in building energy efficiency, passive cooling, urban heat mitigation, and the thermal-energy performance of buildings and cities. Gloria has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals, and is actively involved in international research networks focused on climate adaptation, urban sustainability, and energy-efficient built environments. Shady Attia (shady.attia@uliege.be) Title: Professor Affiliation: Sustainable Building Design (SBD) Lab, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Liège, Belgium Official website: https://www.sbd.uliege.be/ Shady Attia is a Professor and Strategic Advisor on Building and City Decarbonisation at the University of Liège (ULiège), Belgium, where he leads the Sustainable Building Design (SBD) Lab. His research focuses on zero carbon buildings, net-zero district energy systems, and the integration of building performance simulation with urban microclimate modelling. He has investigated the coupled effects of heat pump deployment and urban heat island dynamics on outdoor thermal comfort and district-scale energy demand. Shady has led and contributed to over 20 funded research projects at the European and national levels, including collaborations with industry and policy bodies. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in the field of sustainable building design, passive cooling, and low-carbon urban development. He is an active contributor to IEA EBC research networks and serves on editorial boards of leading journals in the field of building physics and urban sustainability. Shady holds a PhD in Engineering Sciences from ULiège and has held visiting positions at leading research institutions in Europe, Asia, and North America. He is internationally recognised for bridging building science and urban climate research in the context of the EU Green Deal and global decarbonisation agendas. Ali Cheshmehzangi (a.chesh@uq.edu.au) Affiliation: School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Official website: https://www.eait.uq.edu.au/profile/11249/ali-cheshmehzangi Ali Cheshmehzangi is a Professor and Head of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning (ADP) at The University of Queensland. He has been in the World’s top 2% field leader since 2021, recognised by Stanford University. He is among the top 20 global scholars in the urban sustainability research area. With a career spanning over two decades, he has made significant contributions to the academic and professional communities, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally conscious design. So far, Ali has published over 650 journal papers, articles, conference papers, book chapters, and reports. He also has published more than 65 academic books, some of which have received awards at the national, provincial, and municipal levels. He also received international awards and recognition for his research on urban resilience studies and sustainability research, as well as a Vice-Chancellor’s award for his impactful contribution to higher education. Bao-Jie He (baojie.he@cqu.edu.cn) Affiliation: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, China; School of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Queensland, Australia Official website: https://chongjian.cqu.edu.cn/info/1556/5469.htm Baojie He is a (Full) Professor of Urban Climate and Sustainable Built Environment with the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Chongqing University, China. He is currently leading the Centre for Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Cities with the focus on Heat-Resilient and Low-Carbon Urban Planning and Design. Professor Baojie has been involved in several large research projects on urban climate and built environment in China and Australia. Baojie is the Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor, Topic Editor-in-Chief of many reputable international journals. Baojie is the Most Cited Chinese Researcher (Elsevier), Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate), the Sustainability Young Investigator, the Green Talents Alumini (Germany) and so on. Baojie was ranked as one of the Top 2% Scientists by the Mendeley from 2020 onwards. Professor He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed publications. Important Dates Submission opens: 9 June 2026 Submission deadline: 30 June 2027 Expected publication: before 31 August 2027 All accepted papers will be published in the earliest available issue. Submission Guideline To submit your manuscript, please visit the Urban and Building Science journal website: https://sciflux.org/authors/submissions/add-submissions?journalCode=1909189238240141313 When submitting your manuscript, please ensure that you select the Research Topic: “Open and Reproducible Approaches for Urban Climate and Building Performance Modelling” Author submission guidelines can be found at: https://www.sciltp.com/journals/ubs/instructionForAuthors There is No Article Processing Charge (APC) for all submissions and accepted papers. All manuscripts will undergo peer review in accordance with the journal’s established policies and procedures. Final acceptance will be based on the peer-review reports and the evaluation of the Academic Editors and the Editor-in-Chief. Decisions will be made by the Editor-in-Chief or Academic Editors who have no conflicts of interest with any of the authors.
Urban and Building Science
Deadline: 30 Jun 2027Proceedings of the Global Forum on Earth Science, Climate Change & Sustainability
Brief Introduction The Global Forum on Earth Science, Climate Change & Sustainability (EARTHCLIMATEFORUM2026) serves as an international platform for researchers, scientists, industry experts, and policymakers to exchange knowledge on recent scientific advances and pressing challenges related to climate change and environmental sustainability. This forum features selected peer-reviewed contributions addressing earth system processes, climate impacts, mitigation and adaptation strategies, and sustainable development frameworks. The presented studies emphasize interdisciplinary methodologies and practical applications, supporting informed decision-making and advancing global efforts toward climate-resilient and low-carbon societies. As the official publishing partner of the Global Forum on Earth Science, Climate Change & Sustainability, Urban and Building Science , in collaboration with the forum, is pleased to launch the Proceedings of the Global Forum on Earth Science, Climate Change & Sustainability Issue. This Issue provides an important platform to publish original research, review articles, and high-quality communications on climate science, earth system dynamics, sustainable development, and related technologies. Contributions reflecting interdisciplinary approaches and practical insights that support global transitions toward resilient, low-carbon, and sustainable societies are particularly welcome. This Issue welcomes: Original research papers (≥6000 words, excluding references, affiliations, tables, and figures) Review papers (no maximum length) High-quality short communications and perspective articles The Issue Themes This Issue aims to cover topics including, but not limited to: Climate science & earth system dynamics Global warming trends & extreme weather events Carbon cycle, greenhouse gases & emission pathways Urban sustainability & smart cities Environmental pollution & circular economy Climate change & global security Renewable energy technologies & clean power transition Geoscience, geology & earth surface processes Water management and conservation of water resources Renewable energy technologies and monument care principles: synergies and conflicts Academic Editors Dr. Tomas Hajek (tomaseliezer.hajek@seznam.cz) International Association of Landscape Archaeology, Czech Republic Official website: https://linkedin.com/in/tomáš-hájek-61939412b Prof. Nese Yilmaz (nyilmaz@istanbul.edu.tr) Istanbul University, Turkey Official website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nese-Yilmaz-5 Prof. Hashem Akbari (hashem.akbari@concordia.ca) Concordia University, Canada Official website: https://www.concordia.ca/news/media-relations/experts/expert-profile.html?epid=m_gczLls-MzLY2ElmU5erQ Prof. Yanfang Sang (sangyf@igsnrr.ac.cn) Email: sangyf@igsnrr.ac.cn Official website: https://people.ucas.edu.cn/~sangyanfang?language=en Prof. Gordon Huang (gh.huang.ca@outlook.com) University of Regina, Canada Official website: https://www.scirp.org/journal/detailedInforofeditorialboard?personid=8913 Submission Guideline To submit your manuscript, please visit the Urban and Building Science journal website: https://www.sciltp.com/journals/ubs Author submission guidelines can be found at: https://www.sciltp.com/journals/ubs/instructionForAuthors There is N o Article Processing Charge (APC) for all submissions and accepted papers. All manuscripts will undergo peer review in accordance with the journal’s established policies and procedures. Final acceptance will be based on the peer-review reports and the evaluation of the Academic Editors and the Editor-in-Chief. Decisions will be made by the Editor-in-Chief or Academic Editors who have no conflicts of interest with any of the authors. Important Dates Submission opens: 1 October 2026 Submission deadline: 28 February 2027 Expected publication: before 30 June 2027 All accepted papers will be published in the earliest available issue.
Urban and Building Science
Deadline: 28 Feb 2027Advancement in Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technologies
Brief Introduction Against the accelerating transition toward low-carbon and sustainable energy systems, cities and the built environment are becoming primary arenas for renewable energy deployment, energy efficiency improvement, and infrastructure decarbonization. Integrating clean energy generation, storage, and intelligent energy management into urban and industrial systems is essential for advancing sustainable urban development, resilient infrastructure, and climate-responsive communities. This Issue, “ Advancement in Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technologies ,” is launched to publish outstanding contributions from the Global Forum on Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technologies (RENEWTECH2026) , to be held on October 14–15, 2026 , in Amsterdam, Netherlands, aiming to bring together researchers, industry experts, and policymakers to discuss recent advances, challenges, and future directions in clean energy and sustainability. This issue is an important platform to publish outstanding ideas, thoughts, models, techniques, strategies, cases, and practices on renewable energy systems, sustainable technologies, energy efficiency, and low-carbon solutions. The contributions reflect interdisciplinary approaches and practical insights aimed at supporting global transitions toward sustainable and resilient energy systems. This Issue welcomes: Original research papers (≥6000 words, excluding references, affiliations, tables, and figures) Review papers (no maximum length) High-quality short communications and perspective articles The Issue Themes This Issue aims to cover topics including, but not limited to: Solar energy technologies Wind energy systems Energy storage and battery technologies Climate change mitigation and sustainability Environmental impacts and resource management Education, workforce, and capacity building in renewable energy Renewable energy integration in industry Innovation and emerging sustainable technologies Academic Editors Prof. P.V. Aravind (a.purushothaman.vellayani@rug.nl) University of Groningen, Netherlands Official website: https://www.rug.nl/staff/a.purushothaman.vellayani/?lang=en Prof. Ali Razban (arazban@purdue.edu) Purdue University, USA Official website: https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/profile/arazban Prof. Hongwei Wu (h.wu6@herts.ac.uk) University of Hertfordshire, UK Official website: https://researchprofiles.herts.ac.uk/en/persons/hongwei-wu/ Prof. Gordon Huang (Gordon.Huang@uregina.ca) University of Regina, Canada Official website: https://www.uregina.ca/engineering/directory/gordon-huang.html Prof. Emin Taner Elmas (e.taner.elmas@igdir.edu.tr) Igdir University, Turkey Official website: https://abs.igdir.edu.tr/personnel/e-taner-elmas Submission Guideline To submit your manuscript, please visit the Urban and Building Science journal website: https://www.sciltp.com/journals/ubs Author submission guidelines can be found at: https://www.sciltp.com/journals/ubs/instructionForAuthors There is N o Article Processing Charge (APC) for all submissions and accepted papers. All manuscripts will undergo peer review in accordance with the journal’s established policies and procedures. Final acceptance will be based on the peer-review reports and the evaluation of the Academic Editors and the Editor-in-Chief. Decisions will be made by the Editor-in-Chief or Academic Editors who have no conflicts of interest with any of the authors. Important Dates Submission opens: 1 September 2026 Submission deadline: 31 January 2027 Expected publication: before 30 June 2027 All accepted papers will be published in the earliest available issue.
Urban and Building Science
Deadline: 31 Jan 2027Integrated Building Envelopes and Energy Systems for Climate-Responsive, Low-Carbon Buildings
Introduction Buildings are increasingly required to deliver low-carbon performance while maintaining thermal, visual, and indoor environmental quality under more variable and extreme climatic conditions. This Research Topic focuses on integrated approaches that connect building envelopes, energy systems, passive and active strategies, and reliable performance simulation. Rather than treating the envelope and mechanical systems as isolated components, the topic invites studies that examine how façade design, envelope assemblies, shading, ventilation, heating and cooling systems, renewables, and controls interact across design, retrofit, and operation. The Research Topic, “ Integrated Building Envelopes and Energy Systems for Climate-Responsive, Low-Carbon Buildings ”, is intended to bridge architectural engineering, building physics, sustainable construction technologies, and data-informed performance assessment. It welcomes contributions on climate-responsive envelope design, envelope-HVAC-renewable integration, building energy systems, indoor environmental quality, low-carbon retrofit, and simulation-supported decision-making. Particular attention will be given to studies that combine physical understanding with measured data, calibrated simulation, uncertainty analysis, life-cycle thinking, and future climate scenarios. The Research Topic welcomes Original Research Articles, Review Articles, Case Studies, Methodological Papers, Perspectives, and Short Communications with strong methodological or empirical contributions. Collectively, the Research Topic aims to advance robust, climate-responsive, and low-carbon building solutions that are technically credible, environmentally meaningful, and transferable across different building types and climatic contexts. The Topic Themes This Research Topic welcomes submissions on, but is not limited to, the following areas: Climate-responsive building envelope design and adaptive façade technologies Envelope-HVAC-renewable energy system integration for low-carbon buildings Passive, active, and hybrid strategies for thermal regulation and energy reduction Low-carbon, circular, bio-based, and high-performance envelope materials and systems Building physics, dynamic thermal behaviour, indoor environmental quality, and occupant comfort Solar-responsive design, shading systems, daylighting, and thermo-visual performance Deep energy retrofit, nearly zero-energy buildings, and climate-neutral building stocks Building performance simulation, model calibration, validation, and uncertainty quantification Measured-data quality control, real-time simulation, digital twins, and data-informed operation Future weather scenarios, overheating risk, climate resilience, and performance robustness Academic Editors Dr. Haoxiang Zhan (haoxiang.zhan@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn) Affiliation: Institute of Future Human Habitats, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China Official website: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1992-4126 Dr. Haoxiang Zhan is a Researcher at the Institute of Future Human Habitats, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China. His research focuses on building energy systems, phase change materials, demand-responsive cooling, building thermal flexibility, and urban heat mitigation. His work addresses the integration of passive thermal storage, active cooling systems, operational control, and climate-responsive design to improve building energy performance, energy flexibility, and urban environmental resilience. His broader academic interests include low-carbon building technologies, building environmental performance, architectural engineering, urban climate adaptation, and climate-responsive built environments. He is particularly interested in interdisciplinary research that connects building physics, energy systems, thermal comfort, and practical decarbonisation strategies for buildings and cities. Dr. Fazel Khayatian (fazel.khayatian@utsa.edu) Affiliation: School of Architecture and Planning, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States Official website: https://klesse.utsa.edu/faculty/profiles/khayatian-fazel.html Dr. Fazel Khayatian is an Assistant Professor of Architecture and Planning at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He received his Ph.D. from Politecnico di Milano and works at the intersection of architectural engineering, building performance assessment, life-cycle thinking, and trustworthy data-informed methods. His research background includes building energy model calibration, measurement resolution, uncertainty, performance simulation, and environmental life-cycle assessment of buildings. He also leads work related to reliable and interpretable approaches for architectural engineering. His expertise is directly relevant to the methodological side of this Research Topic. Climate-responsive and low-carbon building solutions require not only new envelope and system concepts but also credible modelling, measured data, calibration, and uncertainty analysis. He can help guide contributions that combine physics-based simulation and data-driven approaches, especially those addressing reliability, robustness, interpretability, and decision support for design, retrofit, and operation. His contribution would also help maintain methodological quality in simulation- and data-intensive submissions. Dr. Maryam Meshkin kiya (maryam.meshkinkiya@utsa.edu) Affiliation: School of Architecture and Planning, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States Official website: https://klesse.utsa.edu/faculty/profiles/meshkinkiya-maryam.html Dr. Maryam Meshkin kiya is a Bridge to Faculty Fellow in Architecture and Planning at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her academic background is in architecture, built environment, and construction engineering, and her research interests include climate-adaptive design, urban microclimate, solar availability, building energy simulation, and data quality for building performance assessment. Her work is particularly relevant to the interface between outdoor climatic conditions and indoor building performance, including how solar radiation, boundary conditions, and weather-data uncertainty affect thermal and visual comfort. Her participation would strengthen the climate-responsive and simulation-driven scope of the Research Topic. She can help attract manuscripts that examine urban and climatic boundary conditions, solar-responsive design, future weather scenarios, data preparation, anomaly detection, missing-data treatment, and the propagation of environmental uncertainty into building energy and comfort outcomes. This expertise makes the topic more clearly responsive to climate variability and urban boundary conditions. She can also support manuscripts that connect microclimate evidence with design decisions. Dr. Farzad Hashemi (farzad.hashemi@utsa.edu) Affiliation: School of Architecture and Planning, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States Official website: https://klesse.utsa.edu/faculty/profiles/hashemi-farzad.html Dr. Farzad Hashemi is an Assistant Professor in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Coordinator of the High-Performance Design and Sustainability Graduate Certificate. He leads the Climate-Sensitive Design Lab. His research addresses climate-sensitive design, urban microclimates, thermal comfort, building energy performance, heat exposure, energy use, and climate resilience through simulation, field measurement, and community-oriented evidence. His participation would strengthen the Research Topic’s coverage of climate-responsive design, high-performance buildings, urban heat, and sustainability. He can help guide submissions on urban microclimate-envelope-system interactions, thermal comfort, environmental performance, and climate-resilient design across buildings and communities. Important Dates Submission opens: 15 June 2026 Submission deadline: 31 December 2026 Expected publication: before 31 March 2027 All accepted papers will be published in the earliest available issue. Submission Guideline To submit your manuscript, please visit the Urban and Building Science journal website: https://sciflux.org/authors/submissions/add-submissions?journalCode=1909189238240141313 When submitting your manuscript, please ensure that you select the Research Topic: “Integrated Building Envelopes and Energy Systems for Climate-Responsive, Low-Carbon Buildings” Author submission guidelines can be found at: https://www.sciltp.com/journals/ubs/instructionForAuthors There is No Article Processing Charge (APC) for all submissions and accepted papers. All manuscripts will undergo peer review in accordance with the journal’s established policies and procedures. Final acceptance will be based on the peer-review reports and the evaluation of the Academic Editors and the Editor-in-Chief. Decisions will be made by the Editor-in-Chief or Academic Editors who have no conflicts of interest with any of the authors.
Urban and Building Science
Deadline: 31 Dec 2026
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