Archaeological Perspectives on Urban Sustainability Edited by IHOPE SSC Member, Manuel Fernández-Götz
We are happy to announce that the special issue Archaeological Perspectives on Urban Sustainability in the Journal of Urban Archaeology, vol. 11 (2025) was edited by our SSC member, Manuel Fernández-Götz, along with Roland Fletcher. The issue showcases how deep engagement with the archaeological record can inform contemporary debates on sustainable cities and resilient communities. This volume brings together research spanning millennia, from Copper Age settlements to medieval urban contexts, demonstrating that long-term patterns in human settlement offer invaluable lessons for today’s sustainability challenges.
Unlike many discussions of sustainability that start in the present or future, archaeology reminds us that the past is a rich laboratory for understanding how diverse societies responded to environmental stress, resource scarcity, population change, and social upheaval. By examining how past urban systems succeeded or failed in different climatic and socio-political contexts, researchers can identify strategies that supported resilience such as resource diversification, adaptive infrastructure, and flexible governance structures.
Contributions in the issue explore urban layouts and provisioning systems that enhanced longevity, and settlement patterns that either mitigated or amplified risk. These case studies enrich contemporary sustainability thinking by emphasizing that resilience is not solely a technical challenge but also a social and cultural one. Understanding the interplay of environmental and human factors in historical contexts makes us better equipped to design cities that can adapt to rapid changes like climate pressure, migration flows, and economic transformation.
In a world dealing with climate change and urban expansion, this special issue highlights that sustainability is not just about innovation but also about learning from our collective history, as promoted by IHOPE’s mission. Archaeology’s long-view perspective urges planners, policymakers, and scholars to look beyond short-term fixes and build future cities with insights drawn from humanity’s previous expierences with settlement and survival.