Author Guidelines

Instructions for Authors

Conditions for Manuscript Submission

A manuscript can only be accepted for consideration if:

1. Submitted via the journal’s online submission system to one of the forthcoming thematic issues (see the upcoming issue webpage).
2. Submitted in Word or .odt format, using the template file provided in the instructions for authors, and respecting the word limit and reference style (Download Manuscript Template and APA Style Guide)
3. It has not been previously published nor under consideration elsewhere;
4. It is prepared in accordance with the instructions for authors.

Type of Manuscripts
The journal accepts the following types of articles for publication (all must be original and can not have been published elsewhere):

• Article: A paper containing original research results that has not been published elsewhere. Articles shall have a maximum length of 6,000 words (including title, abstract, tables, figures, and references list). During a potential revisions stage, after peer-review, authors can extend the article length to a maximum of 8,000 words to better address the reviewers and editors’ comments.
• Book Review: A report which offers a critical analysis of a book based on its content and merit. Book reviews shall have a maximum length of 2,000 words (including title, abstract, tables, figures, and references list) and may only be submitted upon invitation.
• Project Brief: A Development brief by practitioners about current or recently completed urban development projects can be submitted. The length of project brief should be up to 2,000 words. 
• Software Review: An assessment of new or unique sources of planning related open data or software review of latest software can be submitted. The maximum length of such draft should be upto 2000-3000 words
• Commentary: An opinion piece providing a critical evaluation of a published article or topic of interest to the readership of the journal. Letters to the Editor and replies should be submitted as Commentaries. Commentaries shall have a maximum length of 2,000 words (including title, abstract, tables, figures, and references list).
• Editorial: An introductory piece submitted by an Academic Editor providing insight into the topic of the thematic issue. Editorials shall have a maximum length of 2,000 words (including title, abstract, tables, figures, and references list).
• Review: A paper which comprehensively sums up the current state of research on a particular topic. Reviews shall have a maximum length of 6,000 words (including title, abstract, tables, figures, and references list). During a potential revisions stage, after peer-review, authors can extend the article length to a maximum of 8,000 words to better address the reviewers and editors’ comments.
• Short Note: A short description of important current research findings, which is more focused and concise than an article. Short Notes shall have a maximum length of 2,000 words (including title, abstract, tables, figures, and references list).

Language
All submitted articles must be written in English. Both British and American spellings are accepted, as long as one spelling is used consistently throughout the text. Authors whose native language is not English are strongly advised to ensure the grammatical correctness of their paper prior to submission. Despite provision of language editing service at Journal’s management unit, It is the author’s responsibility to guarantee that the English language is sufficiently correct.

Structure of the Manuscript : Manuscripts shall have the following ordered elements: type of article, title, authors, affiliations, abstract (200 to 250 words), keywords (4 to 10, alphabetically ordered), text (introduction… conclusion), acknowledgements, conflicts of interests, and references. Epigraphs, endnotes and footnotes are not allowed.

Length Restrictions
Articles and reviews shall have a maximum length of 6,000 words upon submission (the word count limit includes title, abstract, tables, figures, and references list). During a potential revisions stage, after peer-review, authors can extend the article length to a maximum of 8,000 words to better address the reviewers and editors’ comments.
Book reviews, commentaries, editorials and short notes shall have a maximum length of 2,000 words upon submission (the word count limit includes title, abstract, tables, figures, and references list).

Blinded Manuscript
The journal undertakes a double-blind peer-review process (the identity of the authors is concealed from the reviewers, and vice versa). Submitted articles shall always include the authors’ names and affiliations on the title page, but in the main text and article’s metadata there shall be no elements that disclose the authors’ identity. Self-citations should be kept to a minimum, and citation of any of the authors’ published work must be done in the third person.

Reference Style
Articles shall be submitted using the APA reference style. APA style requires both in‐text citations and a final references list. For every in‐text citation, there should be a full citation in the reference list and vice versa. When you need to cite two or more works together, arrange the in-text citations alphabetically in the same order in which they appear in the reference list. In-text citations must list the author’s last name, date of publication, and page number(s) when applicable:

Evans (2014, p. 52) or (Evans, 2004, p. 52)
Howlett and Mukherjee (2014) or (Howlett & Mukherjee, 2014)
Vrooman et al. (2015, pp. 77-78) or (Vrooman et al., 2015, pp. 77-78)

Tables and Figures
Tables and figures are limited to a combined total of 10. Tables and figures must be numbered, an explanatory title must be added, and each table and figure must be mentioned at least once in the main text. Figures should be supplied in a suitable size for printing, and tables should be inserted using the ‘Insert Table’ function provided by the software.

It is the author's responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright owner to reproduce figures and tables that have been published elsewhere. Tables and figures without such evidence are assumed to originate from the author.

Supplementary Files
Authors may submit supplementary files to be made available alongside their article. Supplementary material is available online only on the article’s webpage (it is not published in the PDF of the article). Supplementary files are not copy-edited nor proofread by the Editorial Office, and it is the authors’ responsibility to guarantee the scientific accuracy of these files.

Supplementary files are also sent to peer-review alongside the article; thus, authors are also responsible for guaranteeing that there are no elements (including in the file’s metadata) that disclose the authors’ identity.

Editorial Process (Step-by-Step)

Online Submission
Authors must submit their manuscripts through the online submission platform, comply with our instructions for authors. Submissions by email will not be considered. Authors will receive an automatic acknowledgment email upon a successful submission.

First Check
The Editorial staff will make a first assessment of the submitted article. Manuscripts that do not comply with the instructions for authors may be returned to the authors or rejected altogether.

Contact by Editorial Staff
The Editorial staff will contact the corresponding author with a decision as to whether the manuscript will be considered for publication in the journal and sent for peer-review.

Peer-Review
Manuscripts will undergo a very stringent double-blind peer-review process, where both the identities of authors and reviewers remain undisclosed in order to guarantee the highest quality of the journal. All manuscripts (except for Editorials, Commentaries and Book Reviews) will be sent out for review and at least two review reports per manuscript will be collected. All reviewers will be carefully selected by the journal’s Editors for each submitted manuscript and must fulfill the following criteria:

• Hold at least master’s degree and/or be a recognized expert in the field;
• Not have co-authored publications with the author(s) for the last 5 years;
• Not be affiliated with the same institution as the author(s).

All reviewers will be selected and invited by the Editorial Office to review manuscripts according to the field of expertise of the submissions received.

Reviewers will be asked to complete their review within a week, but are allowed to extend the review period in order to complete and submit their report. All relevant information for reviewers can be consulted in the Instructions for Reviewers.

Decision
After each round of peer-review, the Academic Editor(s) of the thematic issue will be asked to assess the submitted manuscript and the peer-review reports collected. Decisions regarding each submission will be taken without exception by the Academic Editor(s), guaranteeing the excellence and high standard of our decision-making process. The Academic Editor(s) may decide between the following options:

• Accept the submission: the manuscript is considered to warrant high quality and can be published in the journal.
• Revisions required: authors are asked to perform revisions to their manuscript and, after resubmission, the manuscript is sent directly to the Academic Editor(s) for assessment and decision (accept submission, ask for further revisions, or decline the submission).
• Decline submission: the manuscript is considered to have major flaws that could not be resolved by revision and resubmission.

In order to guarantee swiftness of the editorial process, each manuscript will only be allowed two rounds of review and revisions. Authors are thus urged to address all issues raised by the reviewers directly after the first round of peer-review.

Copyediting
After the manuscript is accepted for publication it will undergo a first stage of copy editing where the Editorial staff will correct any minor mistakes (such as punctuation or references) and check that all necessary information regarding the manuscript and authors has been provided.

Authors will receive an edited version of their manuscript for author copy editing after acceptance of the manuscript for publication. This is the last stage where any substantial copy editing changes to the text are allowed (the next stage—proofreading—is restricted to correcting typographical and layout errors).

Proofreading
The Editorial staff will create the final version of the manuscript in the journal’s template and the PDF proof will be sent to the author for final proofreading before publication. Authors should carefully check the proofs for typographical or layout errors, and use the sticky notes tool to mark and explain any changes necessary.

Publication
After the final proofread manuscript has been received and the last corrections have been performed the manuscript will be published. The author will be promptly informed as soon as the article is available online. In some cases, the publication may be delayed in order to guarantee that all articles are published simultaneously.