Date:
A special issue of Architecture (ISSN 2673-8945).
Special Issue Editors:
Leonardo Zuccaro Marchi, Milan Polytechnic, Italy
This Special Issue is an invitation to contribute critical reflections and pondered considerations on how a new wave of visionary projects which currently inform a relevant part of the debate on city making and future practice in architectural design and urban planning. There is little doubt that the first quarter of the second millennium has witnessed a revamp and growing interest in a new radical model of cities and bold architectural ideas reminiscent of 1950-1960s when visionary projects, utopian planning, and megastructures became a relevant element of the architectural discourse.
What particularly seems to attract a great deal of attention to this trend is the coexistence of strong political agendas and evidence of a rapid transformation of natural and urban landscapes driven by climate change (which is to blame for more frequent heatwaves, rising seas, water shortages, droughts, wildfires, and desertification), overpopulation in developing countries, the unstoppable rise of an ageing society in the most opulent nations, and current complex geopolitical and economic shifts.
We search for scholarly works that provide critical reflections, multidisciplinary considerations, and theoretical speculations on the themes of utopias, dystopias, and the new mega-structuralism through different lenses—from compact cities to high-density architecture, and rapid urbanization, as well as the design of flexible architectural spaces and artificial habitats, and the adaptability of urban forms.
We invite proposals focusing on the radical and sudden transformation of the natural environment, and the exploration of new forms of urbanization in alternative habitats like the sea (marine cities and floating urban platforms) through innovative eco–urban design approaches that rely on more sustainable and energy-efficient models of construction and design.
We welcome specific/multidisciplinary contributions and research articles on a variety of themes, such as:
Utopian planning and radical scenario
Climate change adaptation and technological innovation
Artificial habitats- Experimental architectures (floating islands and megastructures)
Case study analysis
Eco–urban design and sustainability
Visionary architecture
Submission deadline of complete papers: 1 March 2026
More info at Special Issue Link:
Impact Factor: 1.4
Citescore: 2.2
