Resourceful Cities: Material Circulations, Design, and Sustainability in Asia

2026-10-26

The Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies invites contributions to a Special Issue on 

Guest editor: Beata Świtek

Across Asia, cities are at the forefront of profound experiments in managing material and ecological flows. From housing and infrastructure designed to be easily dismantled to recover and recycle building materials, through the integration of food cultivation within dense urban spaces, to novel practices of water capture and reuse, these initiatives challenge conventional assumptions about how cities use resources, sustain themselves, and shape design. This Special Issue aims to bring together interdisciplinary perspectives on how Asian cities are negotiating resource constraints and ecological pressures by reconfiguring the relationship between urban life, material circulation, and design innovation.

We welcome empirically grounded, qualitative, and case-based contributions from anthropology, urban studies, architecture, environmental humanities, design studies, STS, and related disciplines. Comparative analyses are welcome and may include cities outside Asia, as long as they shed light on resource and sustainability practices through conceptual and empirical insights. Possible themes include (but are not limited to):

  • New material flows and circulations in Asian cities (waste, water, food, energy, building materials)
  • Design and architectural innovations for sustainable or circular urbanism
  • Comparative perspectives on sustainability initiatives across Asian urban contexts
  • The politics of infrastructure, ecology, and material scarcity
  • Intersections of technology, culture, and ecology in shaping urban futures

The issue seeks contributions that integrate empirical research with theoretical innovation, advancing data-driven and conceptual insights on how urban Asia is reimagining its relation to resources and sustainability.

Timeline:

  • Extended proposals (1–2 pages):
    • Include: title, author(s), affiliation(s), short description of methodology, empirical focus, and contribution
    • Deadline: 1 December 2025
  • Notification of proposal acceptance: 30 January 2026
  • Full papers submission (by invitation):
  • Publication: Winter 2026/ Spring 2027 (Issue 44.2)