About this Research Topic

Background

Urban environments are dynamic entities shaped by a multitude of interconnected factors, evolving over time in response to cultural, economic, environmental, and technological forces. The complexity of urban systems presents a significant challenge for researchers and practitioners aiming to understand and manage urban growth and development. Current research highlights the need for interdisciplinary approaches that integrate historical and contemporary perspectives to address the multifaceted nature of urbanism. While significant strides have been made in understanding urban complexity, gaps remain in comprehensively integrating archaeological and historical insights into modern urban planning. The ongoing debate centers around how best to utilize these insights to inform sustainable and resilient urban strategies. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of combining traditional disciplinary knowledge with advanced computational methodologies, yet there is a need for further exploration of how these tools can be systematically applied to unravel urban complexity.

This research topic aims to unravel the intricate layers of urban development by exploring the potential of long-term approaches to urbanism. By synthesizing insights from archaeology, urban studies, and urban planning, the research seeks to assess and inform future urbanism through interdisciplinary perspectives. The main objectives include understanding the historical trajectories that have shaped urban environments, testing hypotheses related to sustainable urban planning, and exploring the application of computational methodologies to simulate and analyze urban processes. The research aspires to bridge the temporal gap between past and present, drawing valuable lessons to inform future urban interventions.

To gather further insights into the interdisciplinary exploration of urban complexity, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• integration of archaeological and historical insights into contemporary urban planning
• theoretical perspectives on urban complexity from diverse academic disciplines
• application of computational methodologies such as agent-based modeling and network science
• case studies from diverse urban contexts, highlighting geographical, cultural, and historical settings
• exploration of emergent properties and resilience in urban systems.
• interdisciplinary approaches to sustainable and resilient urban planning strategies.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: urban complexity, urban development, archaeology, urban planning, agent-based modeling, network science, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), urban systems

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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