Journal profile · Multiple
Urban Design International
ISSN 1357-5317 · eISSN 1468-4519 · Springer Nature · 4 issues per year
Urban Design International: CAS Zone 4 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.19; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 196 days to acceptance (59 articles, last 24 months); 45 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI, AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Urban Design International is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 4 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Urban Design and Spatial Analysis, Urban Planning and Governance and Urban Transport and Accessibility, together about 37.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Urban Studies. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
URBAN DESIGN International is: an essential forum for the exchange of information and debate concerning issues of urban design and management a vital resource for urban designers, architects, planners, landscape architects and developers an international peer-reviewed publication. URBAN DESIGN International is the first truly international network for all of those involved in the multi-disciplinary tasks of urban design and management. In providing a direct forum for the exchange of information and a vehicle for the debate which constantly redefines the scope of urban design, the journal places a primary emphasis on bringing together practice and research. It addresses current issues and aims to make a range of materials accessible to all: from in-depth papers and reviews of projects, to book reviews, comments on previous contributions and a diary of international events. Some issues are themed by topic or geographic region. The international range of the journal is impressive as witnessed by contributions from all the major continents and an active and extensive editorial structure. Amongst the issues the journal addresses are: urban design theory and practice urban development and management urban ecology heritage and local identity diverse communities of interest
Source: LetPub
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Urban Design and Spatial AnalysisEngineering17.5%
- Urban Planning and GovernanceSocial Sciences11.2%
- Urban Transport and AccessibilitySocial Sciences8.5%
- Urbanization and City PlanningSocial Sciences7%
- Urban Green Space and HealthEnvironmental Science6.8%
- Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesEnvironmental Science6%
- Place Attachment and Urban StudiesSocial Sciences5.8%
- Urban and Rural Development ChallengesSocial Sciences4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Architecture | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Regional & Urban Planning | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Urban Studies | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Architecture | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Regional & Urban Planning | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Urban Studies | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Architecture | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Regional & Urban Planning | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Urban Studies | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIAHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 2.19LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.61LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.36LetPub ·
- h-index
- 57OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 339OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.75OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 13.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 43.08%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 33LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,087 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 47 | 28 | 6 |
| 2025 | 45 | 24 | 104 |
| 2024 | 26 | 18 | 96 |
| 2023 | 22 | 14 | 116 |
| 2022 | 35 | 21 | 300 |
| 2021 | 30 | 21 | 516 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
196 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 153 days – 274 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 29 days (73 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 229 days
- Sample
- 59 articles with submission and acceptance dates (92 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Peer review
- Double-anonymous peer reviewPublisher website · model-extracted
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
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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 prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 150 words
- Keywords
- ≤ 5
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- Harvard
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted4, with length limits
- book reviewjournal's electronic submission system. Book Reviews should, in general, be no longer than 1500 words and should be developed with reference to the general inst…main text ≤ 1,500 words
- original articleAuthors should submit papers electronically via the journal's electronic submission system. The submission system is designed to be self-explanatory but help is…main text ≤ 150 words · abstract ≤ 150 words
- practice articlePractice articles should be no more than 3000 words, inclusive of the following elements in the following order: title page abstract main text introduction lite…Length not stated
- research article2', 'Table 3', etc. Submitting a paper Research article A research article should be no more than 8000 words inclusive of the following elements in the followin…main text ≤ 8,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteLicense & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Self-archiving
- License & copyright Copyright and Permissions
Using third-party material in your articleAuthors are responsible for ensuring that any third-party material (e.g. figures, tables, photos, illustrations, trade literature, or data) is not used without permission. If such material is copyrighted, permission must be obtained and submitted with the final manuscript. The Editor and Publisher must be informed of any restricted-use content at submissio…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access & Self Archiving
Self-archiving (green open access)Where articles are published via the subscription route, authors are permitted to self-archive the accepted manuscript (the version post-peer review, but prior to copy-editing and typesetting) on their own personal website and/or in their funder or institutional repositories, for public release after an embargo period of 12 months after first publication.Learn mor…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Blind review by up to two referees; revisions may be required before accept/reject decision. Model summary
The manuscript will be subjected to blind review by up to two referees. Revisions may be required before a decision is made to accept or reject the paper.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving Open Access & Self Archiving
Subscription-route authors may self-archive the accepted manuscript after a 12-month embargo. Model summary
Self-archiving (green open access)Where articles are published via the subscription route, authors are permitted to self-archive the accepted manuscript (the version post-peer review, but prior to copy-editing and typesetting) on their own personal website and/or in their funder or institutional repositories, for public release after an embargo period of 12 months after first publication.Learn mor…
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
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 4 issues per year
- ISSN
- 1357-5317
- Electronic ISSN
- 1468-4519
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Urban Design International
What CAS zone is Urban Design International in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Urban Design International is in Zone 4 of Economics, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Architecture / Regional & Urban Planning / Urban Studies. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Urban Design International?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.19; CiteScore 6.5, h-index 57.
How long does peer review take at Urban Design International?
Based on the dates recorded on 59 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 196 days (interquartile range 153–274 days). 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 Urban Design International?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 150 words; Keywords: ≤ 5; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: Harvard; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Required; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Required; 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.
Which databases index Urban Design International?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Urban Design International is indexed in SSCI, AHCI and Scopus.
Is Urban Design International open access, and what is the APC?
Urban Design International is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex; 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .