Guest Editors
Dr. Ziheng Shangguan
Email: ziheng.shangguan@unimelb.edu.au
Affiliation: Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne, 3010, Melbourne, Australia
Homepage:
Research Interests: energy transition policy, green economic development, urbanization
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lei Zhu
Email: seuzhulei@seu.edu.cn
Affiliation: Department of Construction and Real Estate, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
Homepage:
Research Interests: sustainable infrastructure development and governance, building carbon emission estimate and management, high-quality rural infrastructure
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Liangliang Song
Email: lsong@hhu.edu.cn
Affiliation: Institute of Engineering Management, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China
Homepage:
Research Interests: infrastructure system resilience, engineering informatization and digitalization
Summary
Rapid urbanization is profoundly reshaping the economic, social, and environmental landscapes worldwide. While cities serve as engines of growth and innovation, they also bring about a range of challenges, including rising energy demand, intensified environmental pressures, and widening social inequalities. In this context, energy justice—emphasizing equitable access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, as well as fairness in decision-making and benefit distribution—has become a critical issue requiring urgent attention.
As cities continue to expand, concerns surrounding energy justice are becoming increasingly salient, giving rise to more complex governance challenges such as infrastructure stress, energy poverty, social vulnerability, and heightened exposure to climate risks. A key question is how to achieve just energy transitions in the process of urbanization to enhance social resilience and safeguard the interests of vulnerable groups. Addressing these challenges requires interdisciplinary approaches and innovative perspectives that integrate knowledge and practices from energy engineering, urban planning, environmental governance, and the social sciences.
This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research and policy-oriented discussions on the interplay between urbanization, energy justice, and social resilience, with a particular focus on global governance challenges and innovative solutions.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
· Equitable access to clean and affordable energy in rapidly urbanizing regions
· Energy transition pathways and justice implications in diverse urban contexts
· Comparative studies of energy justice frameworks across cities and regions
· Urban governance mechanisms for energy equity and climate adaptation
· Community-based approaches to strengthen resilience against energy-related risks
· Social inclusion and participation in energy decision-making
· Renewable energy adoption and distributional justice in urban systems
· Smart city initiatives and their role in advancing energy justice
· Policy innovations to balance urban growth, energy efficiency, and resilience
· Cross-country comparative analyses of governance frameworks for resilient energy systems
Keywords
urbanization, energy justice, social resilience, governance challenges, sustainable energy transition, developing economies, climate and energy policy
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