Journal profile · Social Sciences-Urban Studies
Journal of Urban Ecology
ISSN 2058-5543 · Oxford University Press · United Kingdom
Journal of Urban Ecology: fully open access; APC about USD 1,346; review about 201 days (submission to final decision, publisher); 21 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Urban Ecology is published by Oxford University Press. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies and Avian ecology and behavior, together about 35% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Journal of Urban Ecology is a scientific journal covering all aspects of urban environments including the ecological and social sciences as well as urban design and planning. This includes the biology of the organisms that inhabit urban areas, human social issues encountered within urban landscapes, the diversity of ecosystem services, and the design of sustainable and resilient cities. The journal covers, but is not limited to, urban climate, urban sustainability, soils, vegetation, animals, ecosystems, green spaces, parks, people’s use of the environment, planning, management and policy making. The journal covers the ecology in cities and the ecology of cities, in both developed and developing countries. These subjects include basic ecological questions in urban areas, such as how ecological patterns and processes differ in cities compared to other environments and what effect urbanisation has on the ecology of organisms, as well as topics on the interactions between ecological and social systems in the urban setting. Journal of Urban Ecology also publishes research on green architecture, smart growth, progressive planning, water conservation and efficiency, and environmentally friendly infrastructure. Indexing and Archiving Articles published in Journal of Urban Ecology are indexed in the following databases: Google Scholar Scopus Academic OneFile Academic Search Biological Abstracts BIOSIS Previews British Library CSA DOAJ EBSCOhost NA Publishing Infotrieve INIST * CNRS Reprints Desk ProQuest Summon FIZ Karlsruhe OAlister OCLC Zetoc Zoological Record COPE This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Journal metrics Citation metrics Scopus 2025 CiteScore 4.3 Urban Studies (Rank by CiteScore) 69/295 Ecology (Rank by CiteScore) 134/491 2025 Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) 0.971 Readership 2025 Full Text Usage 109,652 Peer Review and Production 2025 Median days from submission to first decision 108 days 2025 Median days from submission to final decision 201 days About metrics Disclaimer Statements of fact and opinion in the articles in Journal of Urban Ecology are those of the respective authors and contributors and not of the Journal or Oxford University Press. Neither Oxford University Press nor the Journal make any representation, express or implied, in respect of the accuracy of the material in the Journal and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. Readers s
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Social Sciences-Urban Studies
Editor-in-chief Mark J. McDonnellPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 6%); most named United States 14, Australia 6, Mainland China 2, United Kingdom 1, Germany 1 (31 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science15.9%
- Animal Ecology and Behavior StudiesEnvironmental Science9.7%
- Avian ecology and behaviorEnvironmental Science9.5%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science8.8%
- Urban Arborization and Environmental StudiesEnvironmental Science6.9%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences5%
- Species Distribution and Climate ChangeEnvironmental Science5%
- Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesEnvironmental Science4.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CiteScore quartiles (Scopus, June 2026 release)
| Subject | Quartile | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Studies | Q1 | 69/295 | — |
| Ecology | Q2 | 134/491 | — |
Scopus ranks journals by CiteScore within each subject: the 75th percentile and above is Q1, then a quartile every 25 points. A different system from the CAS zones.LetPub
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Google Scholar, ProQuest, OCLCPublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 4.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.61LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.97LetPub ·
- h-index
- 31OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 139OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.21OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 98.28%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 18LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 109,652Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 276 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 20 | 664 |
| 2025 | 21 | 21 | 784 |
| 2024 | 21 | 21 | 655 |
| 2023 | 19 | 19 | 593 |
| 2022 | 31 | 31 | 571 |
| 2021 | 42 | 42 | 411 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
201 dayssubmission to final decision · community reports about 15 weeks
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 15 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 108 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to final decision 2025
- 201 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 15 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 1,346 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,413 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,346 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 1,512 | — | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- USD 3,625
- Submission fee
- USD 1,512
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare8 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- commentariesCommentaries: Short articles, not normally exceeding 7,000 words, presenting researchers' opinions and viewpoints on scientific theories and topics, methodologi…Length not stated
- commentaryResearch Article: Report on important original research relevant to the scope of Journal of Urban Ecology, not normally more than 10,000 words. Review Article: …main text ≤ 7,000 words
- opinionResearch Article: Report on important original research relevant to the scope of Journal of Urban Ecology, not normally more than 10,000 words. Review Article: …Length not stated
- original researchResearch Article: Report on important original research relevant to the scope of Journal of Urban Ecology, not normally more than 10,000 words. Review Article: …main text ≤ 10,000 words
- research articleResearch Article: Report on important original research relevant to the scope of Journal of Urban Ecology, not normally more than 10,000 words. Review Article: …Length not stated
- review articleResearch Article: Report on important original research relevant to the scope of Journal of Urban Ecology, not normally more than 10,000 words. Review Article: …Length not stated
- short notesShort Notes: Articles, not normally exceeding 7,000 words, which report on practical projects that have been undertaken in the field and the results of those pr…Length not stated
- viewpointResearch Article: Report on important original research relevant to the scope of Journal of Urban Ecology, not normally more than 10,000 words. Review Article: …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Self-archiving
- Authorship Authorship
Authorship is limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the design and execution of the work described. Any contributors whose participation does not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged but not listed as an author. The Journal will contact all listed authors at the point of submission to confirm their role. For a detailed definition of authorship, please see …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
Authors The Journal requires all authors to disclose any potential conflict of interest at the point of submission. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure that conflicts of interest of all authors are declared to the Journal. A conflict of interest exists when the position, activities, or relationships of an individual, whether direct or indirect, financial or non-financial…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Availability of data and materials
Where ethically feasible, the Journal strongly encourages authors to make all data and software code on which the conclusions of the paper rely available to readers. Whenever possible, data should be presented in the main manuscript or additional supporting files or deposited in a public repository. Visit our Research data page for information on general repositories for all data types, and resour…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Screening for misconduct
Manuscripts may be screened using iThenticate to help detect publication misconduct including plagiarism and redundant publication. Manuscripts may also be screened, including with services provided by third parties, to help detect integrity issues such as inappropriate image alteration and papermill activity.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access charges
Fully compliant with RCUK, EU, and NSF open access policies Model summary
Please see the details of open access licences and charges. As the Journal is fully open access, you must pay the open access charge or request to use an institutional agreement to pay the open access charge through our licencing and payment portal, SciPris. Please note that prices are subject to change. All stated charges are exclusive of any applicable value added tax, goods and services tax and…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review process
Single anonymized peer review; reviewers communicate with editors only; review information not published; no post-publication commenting. Model summary
The Journal uses the ANSI/NISO Standard Terminology for Peer Review. If you would like further description of the peer review terms used here, please refer to the most recent standard definitions. If further clarification is needed, please contact the editorial office at juecol.editorialoffice@theeditorialhub.com. Peer review summary: Identity transparency: single anonymized Reviewer interacts wit…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
As an author, you retain the right to make an Author’s Original Version (preprint) available through various channels and this does not prevent submission to the Journal. If accepted, you are required to update the status of any preprint, including adding your published paper’s DOI. For full details on allowed channels and updating your preprint, please see our Author self-archiving policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving Self-archiving
Self-archiving refers to posting a copy of your work on a publicly accessible website or repository. Under certain circumstances, you may self-archive versions of your work on your own webpages, on institutional webpages, and in other repositories. For information about the Journal's policy, and to learn which version(s) of your paper are acceptable for self-archiving, please see our Author self-a…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Country or region
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2058-5543
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 12, Issue 1 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Urban Ecology
How long does peer review take at Journal of Urban Ecology?
The publisher reports about 201 days (submission to final decision); authors report an average review time of about 15 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Journal of Urban Ecology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Urban Ecology based?
Of the 31 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 6%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (14), Australia (6) and Mainland China (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Urban Ecology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Urban Ecology is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Journal of Urban Ecology open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Urban Ecology is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 1,346.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .