Aufruf zu Beiträgen für ein Special Issue der Zeitschrift Sustainability zum Thema „Urban Inequality and Social Exclusion“ (Deadline 30. April 2021), Special Issue Editor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Koch, Universität Salzburg

Special Issue Editor

Dear Colleagues,

The past ten or so years have been characterized by recurring crises, including the financial and economic crisis, the migration and refugee crisis, and the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, the climate change crisis is a long-enduring crisis. Although all these crises affect global society comparably in principle, cities are impacted more severely and comprehensively, because they represent places where social, political, economic, and cultural conflicts are tightly and densely interrelated. In fact, a continuously growing urban population will accentuate the effects of crises in the future.

Political and societal measures which seek to cope with problems of urban inequality and mechanisms of exclusion have long been available, and have been further developed to date. Human and civil rights in general and the right to the city [1] or the right to housing movements in particular, illustrate an endeavor to approach the idea of a just city [2]. Currently, efforts to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals are being taken up to reduce poverty and inequality or to safeguard a healthy environment.

However, these efforts are threatened by a global capitalist economy whose inherent incitement is capital accumulation for profit-making [3]. Markets are prevailing, providing selective access based on power, money, and exclusive social networks. Social infrastructure such as housing, public transportation, and public and open space is suffering under these circumstances. The politics of urban austerity [4] obey the neoliberal paradigm, but aggravate the problems of urban injustice, exclusion, and inequality.

With this Special Issue on Urban Inequality and Exclusion, we invite conceptual, empirical, or exploratory papers which contribute to our understanding of the relationships between human and social needs, the application of fundamental rights, and how the capitalistic logic of commercial exploitation jeopardizes them. We welcome submissions focusing on urban austerity, housing markets, and strategies that try to realize resilient, just, and sustainable cities.

References:

[1] Butler Chris (2012): Henri Lefebvre. Spatial Politics, Everyday Life and the Right to the City. Taylor & Francis.

[2] Fainstein Susan (2010): The Just City. Cornell University Press.

[3] Harvey David (2009): Social Justice and the City. Revised Edition, The University of Georgia Press.

[4] Schönig Barbara & Schipper Sebastian (eds.) (2016): Urban Austerity. Theater der Zeit.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Koch
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI’s English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

• urban austerity
• urban poverty
• city and justice
• environmental justice
• capitalist economy
• sustainable development goals
• housing markets
• right to the city
• segregation and stigmatization