Call for Contributions – Springer Nature Collection
Land Take in Europe: Strategies, Policies and Actions for Soil Protection and Sustainable Urban Growth
Springer Nature is inviting submissions for a multidisciplinary Collection titled “Land Take in Europe: Strategies, Policies and Actions for Soil Protection and Sustainable Urban Growth”, which is open for submissions through participating journals.
Scope and Rationale
Soil consumption and land take represent major sustainability challenges in Europe and worldwide, affecting natural resources, food security, human health, water systems, urban sustainability, and biodiversity, issues explicitly recognised in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Europe, over 60 % of soils are currently in degraded condition, prompting policymakers and researchers to seek effective responses to balance urban growth with the protection of soil and land resources.
The Collection focuses on the interrelationships between land take, urban expansion, planning and policy frameworks, sustainable land management, and innovative strategies for sustainable urban and territorial development. It aims to bring together theoretical insights, policy analyses, empirical case studies, and project-level contributions that address both large-scale strategies and local-level interventions related to soil protection and land take mitigation.
Topics of Interest
Submissions are invited in areas including, but not limited to:
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Analyses of policies, regulatory frameworks, and governance mechanisms for soil protection and sustainable land use.
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Urban regeneration, spatial planning, desealing, and land take mitigation strategies in metropolitan and regional contexts.
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Case studies highlighting integrated soil and urban management practices.
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Innovative modeling, monitoring, and assessment tools for evaluating land take and soil change.
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Comparative and international studies on land take governance, indicators, and outcomes.
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Projects and initiatives linked to European and national programs such as NextGenerationEU that address soil consumption and sustainable urban growth.
Interdisciplinary Relevance
This Collection supports research aligned with multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including but not limited to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
Submission Process
Contributions to this Collection may be submitted through the participating journals, including:
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Discover Cities, an open access journal publishing interdisciplinary research in urban science.
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Discover Soil, an open access journal covering soil science and related disciplines.
All manuscripts will undergo peer review according to the standard procedures of the respective journals.
Deadline
The submission window is open until 30 May 2026.
Editors and Contact
The Collection is coordinated by leading experts in soil and urban studies, ensuring an authoritative and impactful set of contributions that advance both academic understanding and policy-relevant knowledge.
For detailed submission guidelines and participating journal information, authors should refer to the Collection page and individual journal instructions on Springer Nature’s website.