Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering

Advancing SDG 11: Nature-Based Applications for a Sustainable Built Environment

The environment is at the forefront of the socio-economic development of diverse countries. However, this rapid urbanisation comes with significant sustainability challenges to the built environment, including environmental degradation, increased pollution, and habitat loss. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) places emphasis on the need to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities. Recent trends show that central to achieving SDG 11 is the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS), which entails strategies that use natural systems and processes to address urban challenges.

As the global population continues to rise, with the majority living in urban areas, the pressure on the built environment to provide sustainable living conditions increases. Unfortunately, traditional methods of planning and delivery of built environment structures often neglect the ecological functions of natural landscapes, which leads to increased vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters. NbS offers a paradigm shift that allows the incorporation of natural elements into built environment development, thereby fostering ecological harmony and resilience in cities. NbS, such as green roofs and walls, urban forests, and wetland restoration, present multiple benefits, including carbon sequestration, temperature moderation, air quality improvement, and stormwater management. Furthermore, these solutions contribute to social equity through green spaces that improve mental health and social cohesion. As countries strive to meet their sustainability targets under SDG 11, implementing NbS can serve as a cost-effective and scalable strategy to enhance urban resilience and environmental quality.

Based on this knowledge, this Article Collection on SDG 11: Nature-Based Applications for a Sustainable Built Environment is timely to document innovative research and applications of NbS in the context of a sustainable built environment. We invite submissions that extend across a range of disciplines and methodologies, from theoretical analyses to empirical studies and policy discussions to practical case studies.

Key subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Biodiversity and urban ecosystems
• Biomimicry in the built environment
• Climate resilience and adaptation
• Built environment education and nature engagement
• Emerging trends in sustainable building materials
• Innovative nature-based solutions
• NbS and sustainable construction frameworks and governance
• Smart cities/ technologies and NbS in the built environment
• Socio-economic impacts and community engagement
• Urban green infrastructure
• Urban ecological footprint
• Water-sensitive urban design

Keywords: Climate change adaptation; Sustainable built environment; Nature-based solution; Sustainable construction; Urban development

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is [30 June 2026].

Please contact Zhan Yu at [email protected] with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select "Advancing SDG 11: Nature-Based Applications for a Sustainable Built Environment" from the drop-down menu in the submission system.

Prof. Clinton Aigbavboa is a Professor of Construction Industry Development and Sustainable Human Settlement at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His key expertise and interest areas span across multidisciplinary domains of construction 4.0, smart cities development, construction future work, sustainable human development, leadership in low-income housing, sustainable construction thinking, and biomimicry, among others.

Dr. Douglas Aghimien holds a doctorate in Engineering Management from the University of Johannesburg and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Building. He is a rated researcher by South Africa's National Research Foundation with research interest in construction management, digitalisation, sustainability and innovative Nature-based Solutions for sustainable built environment.

Dr. John Aliu is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Engineering Education Transformations Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA. His research focuses on equipping engineering students with critical competencies and enhancing their employability amidst rapid technological advancement. He conducts research on smart and sustainable construction and explores innovative Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for building resilient infrastructures.