Urban Research & Practice

Practice Section

Urban Research & Practice is making a special call for submissions for its Practice Section. This call specifically targets contributions that do not take the form of traditional original research articles, but instead offer timely, insightful reflections on emerging innovative practices shaping cities today. Practitioners, policymakers, community actors, activists and researchers are warmly encouraged to contribute.

Practice articles that are chosen for submission from this call will not be published as part of a stand-alone special issue of the journal, but will be published in the practice section of future issues of the journal.

About the Journal

Urban Research & Practice is a well-established, vibrant and cross-disciplinary journal with a focus on urban studies, that publishes a wide range of original academic research articles along with innovative articles on policy and practice. The journal is published in association with EURA (European Urban Research Association), a network of urban researchers that offers a bridge between research and policy, promoting innovative research design, exchange of ideas and good practice, and knowledge transfer.

Practice Section

We are currently seeking contributions that document and analyse innovative projects, plans, programmes, and place-based initiatives carried out within cities. Articles should reflect on how these practical interventions advance sustainable urban development, offer lessons learned, or illuminate emerging trends in urban innovation. We are particularly interested in articles that might be of interest, both to urban scholars and to practitioners, policy makers and politicians. Practice articles are typically between 2,000 and 3,000 words. Further instructions can be found below.

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Guidelines for Authors: Practice section

The articles should cover core topics of interest to the journal and be written in an audience friendly language. Before submitting an article, we advise authors to carefully read the journal’s “Aims and Scope” and to look at recently published practice articles of the journal and the journal archive to ensure that their work fits the journal.

Practice articles focus on innovative projects, plans, programmes, and place-based initiatives carried out within cities to promote sustainable urban development. These contributions aim to highlight new directions in urban practice and to disseminate knowledge emerging from concrete experiences.

All practice articles submitted to this journal need the following elements: Introduction, main text, and conclusion. Please note that given the nature of this type of article we do not require a methodology section, however if the article draws on a research project you may include an additional brief methods section.

Authors may either use the headings given below and use substantive subheadings within these for each part of a section (particularly in the main text section) to guide a reader, or authors may utilise a substantive heading for each section. The following are examples of the headings and substantive subheadings used by an author in a practice article: 1. Introduction, 2. The New Civic Leadership, 3. The Bristol One City Approach  (1) City Gatherings; (2) Innovation zone in City Hall (3) Collaborative Projects (4) The Bristol One City Plan (5) The development of place based leadership (6) City Funds Board (7) The City Office itself,  4. Emerging Lessons for Practice and Scholarship.

(Hambleton, R. (2020) The Bristol One City Approach to city governance: New Civic Leadership in action, Urban Research & Practice, 13:2, 228-237, DOI: 10.1080/17535069.2020.1752055)

https://doi.org/10.1080/17535069.2020.1752055

The required contents are described below:

Title

- Choose the title of your article carefully, as it allows the reader to ascertain the subject of the article.

- Include a keyword or phrase that is central to the paper and, where possible, mention case studies and/or the location where the practice takes place. Here is a good example:

Transforming public housing in Australia: embracing sustainable refurbishment over demolition

Abstract

- Briefly state the purpose of your paper and major conclusions in 100 words; the abstract must be able to stand alone.

- Avoid references and abbreviations, unless they are defined within your abstract when they are first mentioned.

 

Introduction

- Provide a brief overview of the subject and its relevance to urban scholars and practitioners.

- Clearly outline the purpose of your paper and issues it addresses without over-elaborating on the theoretical background.

- Limit the total number of references to fewer than 10, selecting only those essential to framing the subject.

Main text

The main text should focus on the substantive description of the practice you are exploring. Where appropriate, compare your discussion of the practice case with and refer to wider literature on the practice or topic area, but avoid an overly academic tone.

The text should aim to do at least some of the following:

• Present and contextualise a specific project, programme, plan or initiative, outlining its objectives, actors and local context.
• Describe how the initiative has been developed and implemented in practice, highlighting innovative approaches, key achievements and challenges.
• Critically reflect on the experience and discuss the lessons it offers for urban development, urban governance and planning practice in other contexts.
• Contribute to a broader understanding of urban development, urban governance and planning practices by examining cases of wider relevance and encouraging reflection and knowledge exchange between researchers and practitioners.
• Provide primarily empirical and practice-oriented contributions.

Conclusion

The conclusion should:

- Summarise major points and outline your conclusions.

- Explain your contribution to urban practice and scholarship.

- Describe recommendations that arise from your conclusions.

 

Example:

If you would like to read a good example of a practice article, please see the following:

Hu, W. (2025). Transforming public housing in Australia: embracing sustainable refurbishment over demolition. Urban Research & Practice, 18(2), 328–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/17535069.2025.2450478