SUBMIT YOUR PAPER:

B&C is an independent, peer-reviewed transdisciplinary journal. 

Types of papers: Research, Synthesis, Methods, Replication, Policy Analysis, Briefing Notes
View our peer-reviewed content: 

B&C’s peer review content is published on our Ubiquity Press website »
RECENT SPECIAL ISSUES: 

• Transformational Climate Actions by Cities »

• Energy, Emerging Technologies & Gender in Homes »

• Modern Methods of Construction: Beyond Productivity Improvement »

• Housing Adaptability »

• Alternatives to Air Conditioning »
LATEST COMMENTARIES: 

• Dismantling Power and Bringing Reflexivity into the Eco-modern Home »

• The Launch of SURGe at COP27: Breakthrough or Déjà Vu? »

• What is the Problem that Smart Home Technologies Solve? »

• Gender & Ethics of Care in Energy Systems »

• Key Lessons for Adaptable Housing »

• Misuse of Building Performance Simulation »
LATEST BOOK REVIEWS:

CARBON: A Field Manual for Building Researchers »

Conceptualising Demand: 
A Distinctive Approach to Consumption and Practice »

Designing for the Climate Emergency »
Briefing Notes:

A new type of article providing a concise summary for practitioners of a what is known in a particular research topic and how to act on the results »
MAINSTREAMING PERSONAL COMFORT SYSTEMS

Read this series of perspectives exploring how barriers to this promising approach can be overcome »
COP27 EXPECTATIONS

For COP27, Buildings & Cities presents a series of short, learned commentaries from the built environment community that are primarily aimed at policy makers »
SUBMIT YOUR PAPER:

B&C is an independent, peer-reviewed transdisciplinary journal. 

Types of papers: Research, Synthesis, Methods, Replication, Policy Analysis, Briefing Notes View our peer-reviewed content: 

B&C’s peer review content is published on our Ubiquity Press website » RECENT SPECIAL ISSUES: 

• Transformational Climate Actions by Cities »

• Energy, Emerging Technologies & Gender in Homes »

• Modern Methods of Construction: Beyond Productivity Improvement »

• Housing Adaptability »

• Alternatives to Air Conditioning » LATEST COMMENTARIES: 

• Dismantling Power and Bringing Reflexivity into the Eco-modern Home »

• The Launch of SURGe at COP27: Breakthrough or Déjà Vu? »

• What is the Problem that Smart Home Technologies Solve? »

• Gender & Ethics of Care in Energy Systems »

• Key Lessons for Adaptable Housing »

• Misuse of Building Performance Simulation » LATEST BOOK REVIEWS:

CARBON: A Field Manual for Building Researchers »

Conceptualising Demand: 
A Distinctive Approach to Consumption and Practice »

Designing for the Climate Emergency » Briefing Notes:

A new type of article providing a concise summary for practitioners of a what is known in a particular research topic and how to act on the results » MAINSTREAMING PERSONAL COMFORT SYSTEMS

Read this series of perspectives exploring how barriers to this promising approach can be overcome » COP27 EXPECTATIONS

For COP27, Buildings & Cities presents a series of short, learned commentaries from the built environment community that are primarily aimed at policy makers »
 
Understanding Urban Climate Interactions

RESEARCH PATHWAY: personal reflections on a career in research

Geographer and climatologist Gerald Mills (University College Dublin) reflects on a long research career investigating urban climate. He considers how the field has evolved from measuring and modelling to understanding the influence of the local context (local buildings and urban context) and its impact on indoor temperatures in adjoining buildings and outdoor conditions. A key aspect is linking urban climate knowledge to building design and urban planning.

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The Great Reconfiguration: A Socio-Technical Analysis of Low-Carbon Transitions in UK Electricity, Heat, and Mobility Systems

By Frank W. Geels and Bruno Turnheim. Cambridge University Press, 2022, ISBN: 9781009198240

William Throndsen applauds this book which advocates for socio-technical approaches to reconfigure low-carbon transitions of the electricity, heat and mobility energy sectors. The substantial overview and extensive examples provided make the book a relevant policy makers.

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Mombasa City, Kenya. Photo: Sebastian Wanzalla

How can governments advance adaptive solutions for keeping cool during hot weather?

Brian Dean and Elizabeth Wangeci Chege (Sustainable Energy for All) respond to the Buildings & Cities special issue Alternatives to Air Conditioning and explain why thermal comfort is not only a construction industry problem to solve but needs to be placed in the policy agenda on global warming. Thermal adequacy is still not understood as an essential need for human survival and that governments have an essential role.

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The growth of Paris: 1800 - 2014

This special issue examines how cities in the Global South can predict & manage their expansion in effective, sustainable ways.

Urban population growth, now largely confined to the Global South, requires cities to implement effective strategies to accommodate many more people and to ensure that they live productive, healthy, and satisfying lives. The limited potential of infill and densification inevitably requires the conversion of very large areas in the surrounding countryside to urban use. This special issue considers how this can be done in an orderly, efficient, and inclusive manner, with conservation and climate change in mind.

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Slow Zones project by MIT Senseable City Lab. This project compared streets inside and outside of slow zones in Paris before and after implementation to study the causal effect on human activity.

RESEARCH PATHWAY: personal reflections on a career in research

Carlo Ratti (Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT) reflects on the work of the Senseable City Lab. Its pioneering research in understanding how people actually use cities and how urban environments could respond dynamically can enhance capacity and the lived experiences.

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Image: Dedraw Studio, Getty Images

What would an energy transition research agenda embracing intersectionality, equality and equity look like?

Tom Hargreaves and Nickhil Sharma (University of East Anglia) comment on contributions of the Buildings & Cities special issue Energy, Emerging Technology and Gender in Homes on the role of gender in technology development and the energy transition. This must be broadened further to social justice issues. A failure to do so risks fuelling resistance and pushback to new and emerging energy technologies. Three key avenues for future research and practices for a just energy transition and emerging technologies are set out.

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LOBSTER (Laboratory for Occupant Behaviour, Satisfaction, Thermal Comfort and Environmental Research) facility, in Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

RESEARCH PATHWAY: personal reflections on a career in research

Andreas Wagner (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) explains his career in building performance as a journey from building technology and building science to a much broader, transdisciplinary approach involving understanding inhabitants' perceptions, practices, agency and interactions with the built environment.

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Turkey and Syria Earthquake 2023. A devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras. Photo: Twintyre (Shutterstock).

Radical changes are needed in how the construction industry operates and is regulated in order to create safe, healthy homes.

In light of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, David Oswald and Trivess Moore (RMIT University) reflect on the rights that inhabitants have for buildings to be safe, healthy, comfortable and robust. However, serial and various failings in the construction supply side and its oversight by governments mean greater accountability is needed.

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The Need for a ‘Critical Turn’ in Construction Management Research

The drivers for construction management research are too narrow and need to be broadened. A more critical voice would be beneficial.

Roine Leiringer (University of Hong Kong) and Andy Dainty (Manchester Metropolitan University) find the recent B&C special issue, Modern Methods of Construction: Beyond Productivity Improvement, has a worthy (and much needed) aim of providing a critical approach to policy and practice.

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Transformational Climate Actions by Cities

This special issue advances understandings of the nature, extent and effectiveness of cities’ implementation efforts to realise low-carbon, climate resilient cities.

Papers in this special issue expose ambitious actions that some municipalities are taking: visioning, target-setting, and planning (undertaken with community engagement), climate-friendly regulations (for the built environment and urban infrastructure particularly), innovations in finance and capital mobilization to fund climate adaptation, novel institutional configurations, and partnership arrangements with civil society actors. Despite these progressive steps, these papers reveal that an implementation gap remains.

Guest Editors: John B. Robinson and Kim R. Slater

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Policy Proposals for the Built and Natural Environment

A wide, coordinated set of policy proposals for built environment is launched for tackling global warming and biodiversity.

The UK built and natural environment think tank, the Edge, has drawn on the widespread expertise of its members to produce a concise set of interconnected policy recommendations aimed at enabling the design, construction and property industries to deliver on their obligations in the face of the twin climate change and biodiversity emergencies. The policy proposals are an urgent Call to Action to prevent on-going environmental and social harm.

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Ventilation and Infection in Buildings

RESEARCH PATHWAY: personal reflections on a career in research

Engineer Cath Noakes (University of Leeds) reflects on motivations that led to a career researching building ventilation and airborne infection. She considers how the pandemic has exposed weaknesses in our built environment that will influence future research, policy and practice.

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2022 Video Challenge Gallery

Congratulations to the winners of the Video Challenge who displayed creativity, vitality and good communication skills to explain the significance of their research: "Why it Matters".

The judges were impressed and persuaded us to award 9 prizes. In addition, a further prize was decided by the People's Vote. The awards for the 2022 Video Challenge are...

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AWARDS! 2022 PhD Video Challenge

Collectively and individually, all the videos are a rich celebration of emerging, next generation built environment research.

Congratulations to the all the entrants of the "Why it Matters" Video Challenge who displayed creativity, vitality and good communication skills to explain the significance of their research. The judges were impressed and persuaded us to award 9 prizes.  In addition, a further prize was decided by the People's Vote.  And the 10 awards for the 2022 Video Challenge go to....

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Latest Commentaries

Mombasa City, Kenya. Photo: Sebastian Wanzalla

Brian Dean and Elizabeth Wangeci Chege (Sustainable Energy for All) respond to the Buildings & Cities special issue Alternatives to Air Conditioning and explain why thermal comfort is not only a construction industry problem to solve but needs to be placed in the policy agenda on global warming. Thermal adequacy is still not understood as an essential need for human survival and that governments have an essential role.

Image: Dedraw Studio, Getty Images

Tom Hargreaves and Nickhil Sharma (University of East Anglia) comment on contributions of the Buildings & Cities special issue Energy, Emerging Technology and Gender in Homes on the role of gender in technology development and the energy transition. This must be broadened further to social justice issues. A failure to do so risks fuelling resistance and pushback to new and emerging energy technologies. Three key avenues for future research and practices for a just energy transition and emerging technologies are set out.

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Endorsements

  • Gail Brager, University of California at Berkeley, US

    I am excited about the prospects of this new journal, Buildings and Cities. Its highly respected and experienced editorial team will ensure that the journal’s focus on interdisciplinary and multi-scale approaches will push our industry forward in addressing critical issues facing the built environment.

  • David Lorenz, Lorenz Property Advisors, Germany

    The quality of editorial work and support to authors is unmatched within the landscape of property and construction journals. The editors are highly experienced and have a strong track record of working closely with each author.

  • Kathryn Janda, University College London, UK

    By crossing the scale of buildings and cities, as well as bridging the gap between social and technical research, Buildings and Cities is of vital importance to academics and practitioners working to support sustainable and socially just improvements in the built environment. The editor-in-chief has an extraordinary and well-deserved reputation for fostering new ideas as well as thoughtful and constructive critique. This journal is poised to make significant contributions to the fields its topics integrate.

  • Minna Sunikka-Blank, University of Cambridge, UK

    My experience of the review process has been extremely positive: it has always been rigorous, constructive and improved the papers considerably.

  • Lauri Koskla, University of Huddersfield, UK

    The launch of Buildings and Cities has to be warmly welcomed. The members of the editorial team have an excellent track record in actively engaging with the scholarly community for ensuring that published papers are not only rigorous but also relevant.

  • Alison Kwok, University of Oregon, US

    Featuring integrated, topical perspectives about the issues in built environment, authors will find guided support, an expert editorial team, and a superior, high quality publication with a visionary, not-for-profit journal, Buildings and Cities. Readers will see articles addressing key research and high-level discussion about accelerating and implementing strategies to address stringent climate goals.

  • Robert Lowe, University College London, UK

    I wholeheartedly commend the new Buildings and Cities journal under its Editor in Chief, Richard Lorch, together with Niklaus Kohler, Ray Cole, Fionn Stevenson and others. It was a privilege to serve on the editorial board of its predecessor, Building Research and Information for 19 years. It is my opinion that it was consistently the most interesting and impactful journal in its field – which Lorch, together with other Board members and contributors essentially defined. I have every confidence that Buildings and Cities will continue this record.

  • Susse Georg, Aalborg University Copenhagen, DK

    In light of the many challenges that cities face, we need a journal that cuts across disciplinary and professional boundaries to enhance our understanding and insights. This new transdisciplinary journal with a strong editorial team will be a great support to researchers and practitioners alike.

  • David J. Edwards, Birmingham City University, UK; KNUST, Ghana; and University of Johannesburg, ZA

    Buildings and Cities is poised to be a leading scientific peer reviewed journals. Its Editor in Chief, Richard Lorch, has an unparalleled reputation of upholding academic fairness and complete integrity. Consequently, I have no hesitation in recommending 'Buildings and Cities' to my peers.

  • Heather Chappells, University of British Columbia, CA

    Interdisciplinary insight is vital in addressing the sustainability of the built environment, which encompasses the complex intersection of resources, infrastructures, institutions, communities and citizens. In recognizing this Buildings and Cities is set to become one of the foremost journals supporting innovative research in sustainability across diverse urban settings and scales. With an experienced editorial team at the helm it offers a valuable resource for students, scholars and practitioners interested in inclusive and integrated approaches to sustainable development.

  • Sergio Altomonte, UC Louvain, Belgium

    Does built environment research and practice need a new, international, independent, authoritative and openly accessible resource? Buildings & Cities offers a timely and exceptionally relevant response to this question because it is designed to inspire dialogue, engage debate and promote robust evidence, ideas and knowledge. It is founded on principles of rigorous peer-review, relevance, integrity, and inclusiveness, and driven by the recognised competence of it editorial team.

  • Tom Spector, Oklahoma State University, US

    Not only is the evaluation of buildings’ and cities’ performance through time and across scales more possible than ever before, it is more necessary. The journal Buildings and Cities, with its experienced editorial team led by Richard Lorch, is poised to be a leader in this important role.

Gail Brager, University of California at Berkeley, US1 David Lorenz, Lorenz Property Advisors, Germany2 Kathryn Janda, University College London, UK3 Minna Sunikka-Blank, University of Cambridge, UK4 Lauri Koskla, University of Huddersfield, UK5 Alison Kwok, University of Oregon, US6 Robert Lowe, University College London, UK7 Susse Georg, Aalborg University Copenhagen, DK8 David J. Edwards, Birmingham City University, UK; KNUST, Ghana; and University of Johannesburg, ZA9 Heather Chappells, University of British Columbia, CA10 Sergio Altomonte, UC Louvain, Belgium11 Tom Spector, Oklahoma State University, US12