Aims

The Journal of Urban Development and Management (JUDM) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to the planning, governance, development, and management of cities and urban regions. It publishes research on the spatial, institutional, environmental, economic, and social processes that shape cities and urban regions, with particular attention to the policies, decisions, projects, and management practices that influence urban development outcomes.

Urban development involves the interaction of land use, infrastructure, public services, economic activity, environmental conditions, and institutional decision-making. Population change, urban expansion, economic restructuring, climate risks, and technological advances present challenges for urban planning and management. JUDM provides a forum for examining these challenges and the approaches through which cities and urban regions respond to them.

A distinguishing focus of JUDM is the relationship between urban development and the institutional, policy, and management processes through which urban change is planned, implemented, governed, and evaluated. The journal particularly welcomes research connecting spatial development with urban governance, infrastructure investment, project delivery, resource allocation, public policy, and the management of urban services. Studies may address neighbourhoods, cities, metropolitan areas, and wider city-regions, including peri-urban areas and urban–rural transition zones.

JUDM also examines how digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and data-driven approaches are changing urban planning, governance, infrastructure management, and public service delivery. Particular attention is given to smart city development, urban digital twins, intelligent transportation, and digital tools that support urban decision-making. Research in these areas should consider not only technological applications but also their implications for urban development, institutional capacity, sustainability, resource allocation, and management practices.

The journal covers urban planning, land use, housing, regeneration, transportation, infrastructure management, environmental sustainability, climate resilience, urban economic development, and community development. Contributions from different geographical and institutional contexts are welcome. Comparative research is encouraged, while studies of individual cities, communities, or development projects should explain the wider relevance of their findings and their implications for urban planning, governance, policy, or management.

JUDM publishes original research articles, review articles, and short communications employing qualitative, quantitative, spatial, computational, or mixed-methods approaches. Manuscripts should address a clearly defined urban development or management problem, present a sound and transparent research design, and make an identifiable contribution to knowledge or practice. Studies based primarily on technical methods or descriptive case analyses should demonstrate their significance for urban decision-making, planning, development, or management.

JUDM is published by Acadlore. Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial assessment undergo independent double-blind peer review to evaluate their scholarly quality, methodological rigor, and originality.

Key features of JUDM:

The journal focuses on how urban development is planned, implemented, governed, evaluated, and managed, with particular attention to urban policy, institutional arrangements, and management practices.
It examines the relationships among land use, infrastructure, housing, mobility, public services, environmental sustainability, economic development, and urban governance.
Particular emphasis is placed on urban development projects, infrastructure investment and management, smart cities, intelligent transportation, and the integration of transportation and land-use planning.
The journal welcomes research on artificial intelligence, urban digital twins, spatial analytics, and digital governance when these approaches contribute to urban planning, public policy, resource allocation, or management decisions.
It covers neighbourhood, city, metropolitan, city-region, peri-urban, and urban–rural transition contexts, welcoming both comparative and place-based studies with wider academic or practical relevance.
Contributions are expected to employ sound and transparent research methods, demonstrate clear relevance to urban development or management, and provide evidence-based findings with implications for planning, governance, project delivery, public services, or urban decision-making.

Scope

JUDM welcomes research in the following areas, provided that submissions establish a clear connection to urban development, planning, governance, or management.

Urban Planning, Spatial Development, and Land Use

Research on the spatial organisation, physical development, and planning of cities and urban regions.

Urban growth, spatial restructuring, and development patterns
Land-use planning, zoning, and development control
Urban expansion, densification, compact development, and peri-urbanisation
Metropolitan planning and city-region development
Urban–rural linkages and regional spatial transformation
Spatial inequality, accessibility, and land-use change
Planning implementation, evaluation, and institutional coordination
Urban design, landscape planning, and public-space management
Relationships between spatial planning, infrastructure provision, and public investment

Urban Governance, Policy, and Public Management

Research on the institutions, policies, and administrative processes involved in directing and managing urban development.

Urban governance, institutional capacity, and municipal management
Urban public administration and development regulation
Intergovernmental relations and metropolitan coordination
Participatory planning, collaborative governance, and community engagement
Urban policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation
Municipal finance, budgeting, and public investment
Accountability, institutional reform, and administrative performance
Digital transformation of urban governance and public services

Urban Development Projects and Infrastructure Management

Research on the planning, financing, delivery, operation, and management of urban development projects and infrastructure systems.

Urban development project planning, implementation, and delivery
Infrastructure investment, financing, and asset management
Public–private partnerships and urban development finance
Project governance, stakeholder coordination, and risk management
Project cost, schedule, performance, and quality management
Sustainable construction and construction management in urban development
Urban water, energy, waste, and digital infrastructure management
Smart urban infrastructure and AI-assisted asset management
Digital project management and infrastructure performance monitoring
Coordination between infrastructure provision and land development
Life-cycle management, maintenance, and renewal of urban infrastructure

Housing, Neighbourhood Change, and Urban Regeneration

Research on housing systems, neighbourhood transformation, redevelopment, and regeneration.

Housing supply, affordability, accessibility, and housing policy
Informal settlements and incremental urban development
Neighbourhood planning and community development
Urban renewal, redevelopment, and regeneration strategies
Brownfield redevelopment and adaptive reuse
Gentrification, displacement, and residential segregation
Ageing neighbourhoods, urban decline, and revitalisation
Digital and data-informed approaches to urban regeneration

Urban Mobility, Intelligent Transportation, and Land-Use Integration

Research on the planning, operation, governance, and management of urban transportation systems and their relationships with urban development.

Integrated transportation and land-use planning
Transit-oriented development and public transport management
Urban traffic management, control, and network optimisation
Intelligent transportation systems and smart urban mobility
AI-assisted urban traffic management and decision support
Travel behaviour, transport demand, and accessibility assessment
Walking, cycling, shared mobility, and sustainable urban transport
Connected and automated mobility in urban environments
Mobility inequality, transport disadvantage, and service accessibility
Transportation infrastructure investment and urban development
Metropolitan transport governance and intermodal coordination
Urban mobility data analytics and digital twins for transport management
Urban road safety assessment and management

Urban Environment, Climate Resilience, and Sustainability

Research on environmental conditions, ecological systems, climate risks, and sustainability in relation to urban planning and management.

Urban ecology, biodiversity, and ecological planning
Green and blue infrastructure and urban landscape management
Urban water environments, stormwater management, and drainage planning
Urban pollution, environmental quality, and environmental justice
Urban heat, microclimate, and thermal-environment management
Climate change adaptation, greenhouse gas mitigation, and urban resilience
Urban disaster risk management and post-disaster recovery
Resource efficiency, circular urban systems, and ecosystem services
Environmental health and sustainable urban infrastructure
Data-driven environmental monitoring and urban sustainability management

Urban Economy, Social Equity, and Community Development

Research on the economic and social dimensions of urban development and the distribution of urban resources and opportunities.

Urban economic development and structural transformation
City competitiveness, innovation, and entrepreneurship
Employment accessibility and the spatial distribution of economic activity
Urban land values, investment, and development incentives
Tourism, cultural development, and event-led urban regeneration
Urban poverty, exclusion, and spatial justice
Demographic change, migration, and population ageing
Community cohesion, neighbourhood well-being, and inclusive development
Local development strategies and place-based economic policies
Digital inclusion and social equity in smart city development

Smart Cities, Urban Analytics, and Digital Decision Support

Research on smart city development, urban digital transformation, and analytical methods that support urban planning, governance, and management decisions.

Smart city planning, development, and governance
Artificial intelligence in urban planning and management
Urban digital twins, simulation, and scenario analysis
Urban big data analytics and predictive modelling
Geographic information systems and remote sensing for urban development
Digital platforms and integrated information systems for urban management
Multi-criteria decision analysis and resource-allocation optimisation for urban management
Smart infrastructure management and urban performance assessment
Urban data governance, digital inclusion, and responsible AI
Machine learning and spatial analytics for urban planning and management
Data-driven urban policy evaluation and decision-support systems

Scope Boundaries

JUDM considers research in transportation, environmental science, construction, architecture, regional development, artificial intelligence, and computational methods when such research makes a substantive contribution to urban planning, development, governance, infrastructure management, or public policy. Studies concerned exclusively with technical performance, individual building design, engineering materials, transportation equipment, energy technologies, or general-purpose algorithms are normally outside the journal's scope unless their relevance to urban development or management is clearly demonstrated.

Research involving smart cities, intelligent transportation, digital twins, artificial intelligence, or other emerging technologies should address identifiable urban problems and explain how the findings inform planning, governance, infrastructure investment, public service delivery, resource allocation, or management decisions. Technological novelty alone does not establish suitability for JUDM.

Submissions should extend beyond descriptive accounts of local conditions or routine applications of established methods. Authors are expected to explain the wider significance of their findings and their contribution to urban development research, planning practice, policy, project delivery, or management.