Journal profile · URBAN STUDIES
Journal of Urban Management
ISSN 2226-5856 · eISSN 2589-0360 · Elsevier · Taiwan, Province of China
Journal of Urban Management: CAS Zone 2 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 5.6 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 2,500; review about 206 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); acceptance rate 12% (journal website); 122 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Urban Management is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Land Use and Ecosystem Services, Urban Transport and Accessibility and Urban Design and Spatial Analysis, together about 30.1% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Official Journal of Zhejiang University and the Chinese Association of Urban Management An international, peer-reviewed open access journal covering planning, administering, regulating, and governing urban complexity. More than half of the world population now lives in cities globally. In China, rapid urbanization has taken place since the economic reform in 1978. Managing urban complexity effectively will thus be one of the most challenging tasks faced by human beings for the 21st century. Based on the presumption that cities are complex systems and that plans for urban development alone cannot deal sufficiently with the deteriorated urban environment and the related issues that are derived from rapid urbanization, the Journal of Urban Management (JUM) has its two-fold aims set to integrate the studies across fields in urban planning and management, as well as to provide a more holistic perspective on problem solving.Explore innovative management skills for taming thorny problems that arise with global urbanization Provide a platform to deal with urban affairs whose solutions must be looked at from an interdisciplinary perspective.We are particularly interested in theoretical work and applications that are targeted at urban management worldwide, including developing and developed countries. The term urban management is defined broadly here to cover studies and research in planning, administering, regulating, and governing (PARG) urban complexity. The urban phenomena that are of interest cut across ecological, physical, economic, political, and social settings, with a belief that these settings interact with each other and should be treated as a whole. The JUM publishes four issues per year and we accept manuscripts throughout the year.Topics published in the JUM include, but are not limited to:A. GeneralManaging Global Urbanization, Urban Management and Society, Local Government Management, Participatory Urban Management, OtherB. ComplexityCities and Complexity, Urban Complexity Theory, Urban Morphology, Social Physics, Social Network, OtherC. PlanningCities and Plans, Urban Development, Land Development, Planning Theory, Planning Analysis, Urban and Regional Spatial Change, Urban Modeling, Urban Economics, Quantitative Methods, OtherD. AdministrationCities and Administration, Policy Analysis, Organizational Theory, Decision Theory, Leadership, OtherE. RegulationsCities and Regulations, Regulatory System, Economic Analysis of Laws, Economic Analysis of Property Rights, Institutional Economics, OtherF. GovernanceCities and Governance, Political Institutions, Positive Political Theory, Urban Politics, Public Goods Economics, Collective Choices, Collective Actions, OtherG. ApplicationsTransportation and Land Use Planning, Building and Construction, Urban Design , Landscape Architecture, Housing Policy, Urban Regeneration, Ecological and Environmental Planning, Infrastructure Planning, Real Estate Investment, Disaster Mitigation, Slums, Urban Finance, Urban Crimes, Social Welfare, Educational Policy, Labor Market, Inter-City Migration, Governmental Organization and Administration, Informational City and Technology, E-Government, Climate Change and Energy, Globalization and City Competitiveness, OtherH. OtherSports, Tourism , Culture, Other Special Topics
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): URBAN STUDIES
Editor-in-chief Fei ChenPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 18 in mainland China (about 31%); most named Mainland China 18, United States 16, United Kingdom 8, Netherlands 3, Hong Kong, China 2 (59 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesEnvironmental Science12.6%
- Urban Transport and AccessibilitySocial Sciences10.2%
- Urban Design and Spatial AnalysisEngineering7.3%
- Urban and Rural Development ChallengesSocial Sciences6.9%
- Urban Planning and GovernanceSocial Sciences6.3%
- Urban Green Space and HealthEnvironmental Science5.9%
- Smart Cities and TechnologiesEngineering5.3%
- Human Mobility and Location-Based AnalysisSocial Sciences4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Urban Studies | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Urban Studies | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Urban Studies | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PubMedPublisher website
Other: Crossref
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
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 5.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 8.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.14LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.81LetPub ·
- h-index
- 53OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 236OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.23OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 83LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 605 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 117 | 117 | 37 |
| 2025 | 122 | 122 | 421 |
| 2024 | 82 | 82 | 899 |
| 2023 | 38 | 38 | 592 |
| 2022 | 43 | 43 | 1,064 |
| 2021 | 46 | 46 | 1,536 |
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
206 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 12 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 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 12%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 76 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 206 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 54 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 2,500 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,200 / EUR 1,090 / GBP 960 / JPY 141,580 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,200 | Yes | — |
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)
Article types accepted11, with length limits
- book reviewContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: research papers, case reports, technical notes, book reviews, and forum …main text ≤ 1,500 words
- book reviewsBook Reviews: A book review typically ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 words. It reviews critically a book published within two years which is related, but not limite…Length not stated
- case reportContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: research papers, case reports, technical notes, book reviews, and forum …main text ≤ 8,000 words
- case reportsCase Reports: A case report typically ranges from 5,000 to 8,000 words. It introduces critically current practice of urban management in detail based on specifi…Length not stated
- forum essaysForum Essays: A forum essay typically ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 words. It is aimed at an on-going debate on a particular issue in the research and practice of …Length not stated
- research paperContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: research papers, case reports, technical notes, book reviews, and forum …main text ≤ 8,000 words
- research papersResearch Papers: A research paper typically ranges from 5,000 to 8,000 words. It presents innovative research on managing urban complexity that makes a potentia…Length not stated
- reviewContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: research papers, case reports, technical notes, book reviews, and forum …Length not stated
- technical noteContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: research papers, case reports, technical notes, book reviews, and forum …main text ≤ 5,000 words
- technical notesTechnical Notes: A technical note typically ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 words. It provides a brief account of the logic for a particular new research idea and ma…Length not stated
- viewpointContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: research papers, case reports, technical notes, book reviews, and forum …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
Generative AI use must be declared; AI tools may support but not replace human critical thinking; authors remain accountable for content. Model summary
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Author contributions
Maximum 6 keywords after abstract, American spelling, avoid general/plural terms. Model summary
For transparency, we require corresponding authors to provide co-author contributions to the manuscript using the relevant CRediT roles. The CRediT taxonomy includes 14 different roles describing each contributor's specific contribution to the scholarly output. The roles are: Conceptualization; Data curation; Formal analysis; Funding acquisition; Investigation; Methodology; Project administration;…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of interest
Competing interests must be disclosed in a summary statement and a separate Declaration of Interest form. Model summary
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential competing interests include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Authors must disclose any interests in two places:…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'License Agreement' (see more information on this). Permitted third party reuse of open access articles is determined by the author's choice of user license.Author rightsAs an author you (or your employer or institution) have certain rights to reuse your work. More information.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
License agreement upon acceptance; open access reuse determined by chosen user license. Model summary
Please visit our Open Access page for more information about open access publishing in this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review; editor suitability assessment; minimum two independent expert reviewers; Editor makes final decision. Model summary
This journal operates a double anonymized review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor'…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint references
Where a preprint has subsequently become available as a peer-reviewed publication, the formal publication should be used as the reference. If there are preprints that are central to your work or that cover crucial developments in the topic, but are not yet formally published, these may be referenced. Preprints should be clearly marked as such, for example by including the word preprint, or the nam…
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
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- Taiwan, Province of China
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2226-5856
- Electronic ISSN
- 2589-0360
- Society / sponsor
- Zhejiang University and the Chinese Association of Urban Management An international
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Urban Management
What CAS zone is Journal of Urban Management in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Urban Management is in Zone 2 of Sociology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Urban Studies. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Urban Management?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 5.6; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 8.5, h-index 53.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Urban Management?
The publisher reports about 206 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 12 weeks; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 12%. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Urban Management based?
Of the 59 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 18 (about 31%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (18), United States (16) and United Kingdom (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Urban Management?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Urban Management is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists PubMed; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Urban Management open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Urban Management is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,500.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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: .