Frontiers in Sustainable Cities Impact Factor 2025 – JCR & Overview

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities is an open-access journal published by Frontiers Media SA. Launched in 2019, it publishes interdisciplinary research on urban sustainability, covering engineering, urban planning, environmental science, social sciences, and policy studies. The journal addresses the challenges of creating sustainable, resilient, and livable cities in the context of rapid global urbanization and climate change.

METRICSFrontiers in Sustainable Cities Impact Factor 2025

According to the Journal Citation Reports 2026 edition (Clarivate, released June 2025), Frontiers in Sustainable Cities achieved an Impact Factor of 3.3. The journal’s quartile ranking varies by category: it is ranked Q3 in Environmental Sciences, Q2 in Environmental Studies, Q3 in Green & Sustainable Science & Technology, and Q1 in Urban Studies.

SCOPEWhat Does Frontiers in Sustainable Cities Publish?

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities publishes original research, reviews, and policy analyses related to urban sustainability. The journal covers a broad interdisciplinary scope including:

• Sustainable urban planning and design
• Green building technologies and energy efficiency
• Urban transportation and mobility systems
• Climate adaptation and resilience strategies for cities
• Water resource management in urban environments
• Waste management and circular economy approaches
• Urban ecology and green infrastructure
• Environmental justice and equitable urban development
• Smart city technologies and urban data science
• Urban governance, policy, and behavioral change

The journal welcomes both quantitative and qualitative research, including case studies, comparative analyses, and theoretical frameworks, provided they advance understanding of sustainable urban systems.

SUBMISSIONSubmission and Peer Review Process

Manuscripts are submitted through the Frontiers submission platform. The journal uses a collaborative peer-review model where independent reviewers interact with authors through a transparent forum. Reviewers must declare competing interests and are required to provide substantive, constructive feedback. The editorial board consists of field chief editors and associate editors with expertise across the journal’s thematic areas.

Typical time from submission to initial decision is 4–8 weeks, though this can vary by manuscript complexity and reviewer availability.

PUBLISHINGOpen Access and Article Processing Charges

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities is a fully open-access journal. All articles are published under Creative Commons licenses and are freely available upon publication. Authors pay an Article Processing Charge (APC) that varies by article type. Frontiers offers support for authors from low-income countries through APC waiver programs. Current APC rates are published on the Frontiers author fees page.

EDITORIALEditorial Standards and Ethics

Frontiers Media follows COPE guidelines and requires data sharing statements for all original research articles. The journal endorses the TOP (Transparency and Openness Promotion) guidelines and encourages preregistration of studies where appropriate. Competing interests must be disclosed by all authors, and research involving human subjects must document ethical approval.

CONTEXTPosition Within the Frontiers Journal Portfolio

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities is part of the larger Frontiers open-access publishing platform, which includes more than 200 journals across science, medicine, and technology. It sits alongside related titles such as Frontiers in Environmental Science and Frontiers in Built Environment, providing researchers with multiple venue options depending on the specific disciplinary focus of their work.

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