Architectures of Survival: Reimagining Futures in a Changing World

Introduction

This special issue explores the pressing global changes that are reshaping human life, particularly within urban communities. These changes present both existential threats and transformative opportunities, creating an urgent need to redefine how we design, maintain, operate, and evolve the built environment for future generations. Research into the architecture of the future is critical. The built environment accounts for approximately 40% of global CO₂ emissions (UNEP, 2022), underscoring the need for design strategies that integrate with natural systems, mitigate the negative impacts of urbanization, and balance environmental responsibility with human needs.

At the same time, unprecedented technological advancements, including VR, AR, AI, IoT, and digital fabrication, are revolutionizing how we live and, consequently, how we conceive, design, and construct our built environments. However, these developments occur alongside widening political, technological, and economic disparities, which exacerbate global conflicts and deepen inequities, threatening the survival of the most vulnerable populations.

The aim of this special issue is to present new architectural and urban approaches that foster ecological balance, ensure the wise adoption of technology, and promote socio-economic equity. The contributions to this issue are expected to address the specific challenges of a rapidly changing world and to explore potential responses through both the practice and education of architecture and urbanism.

List of topic areas

1) The Environmental Change: Architecture and Urban Morphogenesis, towards More Nature-integrated Environments
2) The Technological Change: From CAD to Hyperreality, the Evolution of Architecture Practice and Education
3) The Socio-economic Change: Human-centered Investment for Equitable Urban Communities

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/archnet
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/arch#jlp_author_guidelines

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to "Please select the issue you are submitting to".

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else while under review for this journal.

Key deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 25/09/2025
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 13/11/2025