List of OA journals

 

The YA and AESOP believe in an Open Access future. This is why we have launched plaNext – next generation planning, the journal of the YA and we are enthusiasts of Transactions of AESOP, the journal of AESOP.

This is a list of high-quality, Open Access journals in planning and related disciplines, compiled by Simone Tulumello (originally, for the Open Access Week 2015). During the years, it has received contributions from Simon Batterbury (who has a great list of OA journals in geography, political ecology and other social sciences), Tamara Maričić, Enzo Falco, Ilan Kelman, Gennaro Bicienne, Mario Paris, Sabine Knierbein, Simón Escoffier, Luisa Bravo, Lole Humer, Erhan Kurtarir, Luis Estevez (further contributions are welcome).

The list focuses on four aspects. First, Open Access, here, means that no fees apply to authors (so-called Article Processing Charges): publishing in these journals is free – I believe “Gold” OA to be worst than traditional publication, because it shifts unequal access from readers to authors. No one profits from the journals included in this list, in the vast majority of cases they are directly managed by universities or scientific societies.

Second, priority is given to multi-lingual journals, for the belief that the construction of an international publishing environment around one single language is an oxymoron.

Third, quality is not understood in terms of metrics or procedures. Almost all journals are peer-reviewed, but there are some exceptions. Most journals are indexed by not-for-profit and/or public indexes (e.g. Scielo, DOAJ), some are included in for-profit indexes (e.g. Web of Science, Scopus), others are not indexed. Some of these journals took the political decision to not be included by fancy indexes, others will never be because they are not in English or do not conform to the (parochial) standars necessary to be included there. These journals publish good stuff, that’s all. Where they claim inclusion in indexes in their webpage, this is mentioned below (in italic).

Fourth, no strict borders among disciplines. Some are planning journals, most are journals urban and/or regional studies, geography, development studies. Also multi-disciplinary journals that accept articles in planning and related areas are included.

Multi-lingual journals

Monolingual journals

  • Acta Geographica Slovenica – English (articles can be submitted in Slovenian, but cost of translation is to be convered by authors; published by Anton Melik Geographical Institute) (SCIE, Scopus, CGP, EBSCO, GEOBASE Journals, Geosource, JS, OHSU, Google Scholar, Geoscience e-Journals, ERIH Plus, CrossRef, Georef, SJR, OCLC WorldCat, I2OR).
  • Agoriad: A Journal of Spatial Theory - English (published by the Welsh Graduate School of Social Sciences) (Scholar)
  • Articulo – Journal of Urban Studies – English (previously also French) (Scopus, AERES)
  • AUC Geographica (Acta Universitatis Carolinae Geographica) – English (published by Karolinum Press) (Scopus, EBSCO, GeoBibline, Ulrichsweb, DOAJ)
  • A|Z ITU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture – English (published by Faculty of Architectur, ITU) (ICONDA,, DAAI, AVERY, DOAJ, GENAMICS)
  • Boletim GeoÁfrica - Portuguese (published by Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisa Espaços e Sociedades na África Subsaariana, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro)
  • Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series – English (published by Nicolaus Copernicus University) (AGRICOLA, Arianta, Baidu Scholar, BazEkon, BazHum, CABI, CEEOL, CEJSH, CNKI Scholar, CNPIEC, Current Geographical Publications, Dimensions, DOAJ, EBSCO, EconBiz, ECONIS, Engineering Village, ERIH PLUS, Genamics JournalSeek, GeoRef, Google Scholar, Index Copernicus, ProQuest, JST, J-Gate, JournalGuide, JournalTOCs, KESLI-NDSL, Microsoft Academic, Naviga, Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, POL-index, Primo Central, ProQuest, Publons, QOAM, ReadCube, Reaxys, VINITI, RePEc, SJR, Scopus, Sherpa/RoMEO, SIGLA, Summon, TDNet, Ulrich’s, WanFang Data, WoS Emerging Sources, WorldCat)
  • Carnet de Géographes – French
  • Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal – English (published by University of Technology Sidney) (Scopus, DOAJ, EBSCO, Informit, Google Scholar, WoS Emerging Sources, TROVE, LivRe, BASE, EZ3, OADL, SHERPA/RoMEO, Ulrich’s,  LinkER, OpenAIRE)
  • Conservation and Society – English (published by Wolters Kluwer – Medknow; supported by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment) (DOAJ, Indian Science Abstracts, SJR, Scopus, WoS)
  • Criminological Encounters – English
  • Critical Housing Analysis – English (SCOPUS, ERIH PLUS, EBSCO, NSD, ANVUR)
  • Critical Planning Journal -  English (thematic issues; published by UCLA) (1993-2017 and published again since 2022)
  • Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica – English (previously also Spanish) (published by Universidad de La Rioja) (Scopus, WoS Emerging Sources, Dialnet, DOAJ, Fuente Académica Premier, Francis, ISOC, ICYT, Latindex, PIO, REDIB, Ulrich’s, URBADOC, CIRC, CARHUS Plus, DICE, ERIH Plus, IN-RECS, MIAR, RESH, FECYT, SJR)
  • Die Erde – Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin – English (published by Geographical Society of Berlin) (WoS, Scopus)
  • Electronic Green Journal – English (published by UCLA)
  • Environmental Humanities – English (published by Duke University Press; funded and managed by Concordia University, Sydney Environment Institute, UCLA, KTH, University of New South Wales) (DOAJ, WoS Emerging Sources, Ulrichsweb)
  • Environmental Health Perspectives – English (supported by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) (WoS, PubMED)
  • Europa XXI – English (published by Stanisław Leszczycki Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization) (Index Copernicus)
  • European Journal of Geography – English (published by European Association of Geographers) (WoS, Scopus, Google Scolar, SJR)
  • European Journal of Spatial Development – English (published by Politecnico di Torino – previously by Nordregio and TU Delft) (Sopus, DOAJ, EBSCO, Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers, Academic Journals Database, SJR)
  • European Spatial Research and Policy – English (published by University of Lodz) (Arianta, Baidu Scholar, CEEOL, CNKI Scholar, CNPIEC, Dimensions, EBSCO, EconBiz, ECONIS, Engineering Village, ERIH Plus, Genamics JournalSeek, GeoArchive, Geobase, GeoRef, Google Scholar, Index Copernicus, ProQuest, JST, J-Gate, JournalGuide, JournalTOCs, KESLI-NDSL, Microsoft Academic, Naviga, Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers, POL-index, ExLibris, ProQuest, Publons, QOAM, ReadCube, Reaxys, VINITI, RePEc, SJR, Scopus, Sherpa/RoMEO, Summon, TDNet, Ulrich’s, WanFang Data, WoS Emerging Sources, WorldCat)
  • Fennia – International journal of Geography – English (previously published in Finnish) (is experimenting non-blind reviews, some of which are published along with articles) (published by Geographical Society of Finland) (DOAJ, COPE, WoS, TSV)
  • Footprint – Delft Architecture Theory Journal – English (published by Jap Sam Books; supported by Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft) (Scopus, Google Scholar, DOAJ, ERIH Plus, AVERY)
  • Foucault Studies – English (published by Copenhagen Business School; supported by  Danish Social Science Research Council and Danish Research Council for the Humanities) (SJR, EBSCO, Scopus)
  • Geographia Polonica – English (thematic issues) (published by Institute of Geography and Spatial Organisation of the Polish Academy of Sciences) (SJR, WoS, Scopus, Google Scholar)
  • GeoProgress Journal - English (published by GeoProgress Onlus in collaboration with the DISEI-Department of Studies for Economics and Business of the University of Eastern Piedmont).
  • Ghana Journal of Geography – English (supported by Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana)
  • Human Geographies – Journal of Studies and Research in Human Geography – English (published by University of Bucharest) (Scopus, ERIH Plus, EBSCO, ProQuest, Index Copernicus, NTiS, Bodleian Libraries, ExLibris SFX, DOAJ, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Library, Google Scholar, Ulrichsweb, SJR)
  • Hungarian Geographical Bulletin - English (Scopus, EBSCO, CAB Abstracts, DOAJ, Scimago, Current Geographical Publications, Scholar)
  • Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies – English (currently sponsored, but expects to cover APC once sponsorship limit will be reached; affiliated to the Southern African Society for Disaster Reduction; sponsored by the National Disaster Management Center) (DHET SA List, Scopus, PubMed, DOAJ, EBSCO, GALE, CENGAGE Learning, ProQuest, Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers, SciELO, WoS Emerging Sources)
  • Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development – English (published by Italian Agency for Development Cooperation) (DOAJ, Scopus, WoS)
  • Island Studies Journal – English (published by Fróðskaparsetur Føroya/University of the Faroe Islands) (DOAJ, Scopus, WoS)
  • Italian Journal of Planning Practice – English (Scopus, WoS Emerging Sources, DOAJ, ANVUR)
  • J-Reading – Journal of Research and Didactics in Geography – English (published by the Italian Association of Geography Teachers; sponsored by Sapienza University of Rome, Unversity of Helsinki, University of Turin, Western Michigan University,  EUGEO, CNR) (Anvur)
  • Journal of Public Space – English (published by City Space Architecture, a non-profit organization based in Italy, in partnership with UN-Habitat)
  • Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning – English (published by Centre for Research on Settlements and Urbanism, Babeş-Bolyai University) (WoS Emerging Sources, Scopus, EBSCO, ProQuest, Ulrich’s, WorldCat, Giga, Google Scholar, AJD, PUBDB, DESI, CiteFactor, OALib, La Criée, WZB, MIAR, Scilit, SJR)
  • Journal of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies – English
  • Journal of Urban and Regional Analysis – English (published by CICADIT, University of Bucharest) (WoS Emerging Sources, Scopus, EBSCO, ProQuest, Ulrichsweb, DOAJ, GESIS, Index Copernicus, CEEOL)
  • Literary Geographies – English
  • Mediapolis – A Journal of Cities and Culture – English (short articles; supported by Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, College of Arts and Letters, University of Notre Dame and Media Studies Initiative and the Society for the Humanities, Cornell University)
  • Mercator - English (but accepts submissions also in Portuguese and Spanish) (published by Universidade Federal do Ceará) (ScieLO, Redalyc, DOAJ; LatIndex, Ebsco)
  • Métropolitiques – French (short papers) (published by the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs)
  • Miscellanea Geographica – Regional Studies on Development – English (published by Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw) (Arianta, Baidu Scholar, Bibliografia Geologiczna Polski, CEJSH, CNKI Scholar, CNPIEC, Current Geographical Publications, Dimensions, DOAJ, EBSCO, Engineering Village, ERIH Plus, GeoArchive, GeoRef, Google Scholar, Index Copernicus, JST, J-Gate, JournalGuide, JournalTOCs, KESLI-NDSL, Microsoft Academic, Naviga, Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers, POL-index, ExLibris, Publons, QOAM, ReadCube, Reaxys, SJR, Scopus, Sherpa/RoMEO, Summon, DNet, Ulrich’s, WanFang Data, WoS Emerging Sources, WorldCat)
  • Nordia Geographical Publications – English (thematic issues and theses) (published by the Geographical Society of Northern Finland and the Geography Research Unit at the University of Oulu)
  • Nordic Journal of Urban Studies – Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, English (published by the Scandinavian University Press) (Scholar, Ex Libris / Oria, ProQuest, Ebsco, WorldCat Local).
  • Pacific Geographies – English (published by Department of Human Geography, Hamburg University) (DOAJ)
  • Philosopy of the City - English (published by University of Groningen) 
  • plaNext – next generation planning – English (published by AESOP YA; supported by AESOP) (CrossRef, DOAJ, Scholar)
  • [discontinued in 2016, relaunched in 2021 but apparently discontinued again since] Planning Forum – English (published by Community and Regional Planning Program, University of Texas at Austin)
  • Polish Geographical Review – English (published by Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization – PAS) (Scopus, GeoRef, ProQuest, Geobase, Current Geographical Publications, Bibliographie Géographique Internationale)
  • Radical Housing Journal (published by the RHJ Collective)
  • REGION – English (published by European Regional Science Association) in cooperation with Wirtschafts Universität Wien) (Scopus, RePEc, DOAJ, ECONSTOR, Google Scholar, ERSA Journal Archive, Crossref, BASE, Acamdemic Resource Index, EconLit)
  • RIURBA – Revue Internationale d’Urbanisme – French
  • Roadsides - English (short articles reviewed by the editorial board) (supported by Swiss National Science Foundation, University of Fribourg and University of Zurich )
  • Shima – The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures – English (DOAJ, Scopus)
  • Spatium – English (published by Institute of Architecture and Urban and Spatial Planning of Serbia)
  • s u b \ u r b a n – Zeitschrift fur Kritische Stadtforschung – German (in exceptional cases, articles can be submitted in other languages and will be translated upon acceptance) (published by association sub\urban)
  • Suburban Sustainability – English (published by National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University; supported by University of South Florida Libraries)
  • Sud-Ouest Européen – Revue géographique des Pyrénées et du Sud-Ouest – French (published by Presses universitaires du Midi – volumes are released in OA one year after publication)
  • Surveillance and Society – English (published by Surveillance Studies Network) (WoS Emerging Sources, Scopus, Google Scholar, EBCSO, CSA, IBSS, DOAJ)
  • Tema. Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment – English (previously also Italian) (published by Università di Napoli Federico II) (SPARC, DOAJ, BASE, ACNP, EZB, Google Scholar, JournalTOCs, Socol@r, Summon, Worldcat)
  • Territorios – Spanish (published by Universidade de Rosario) (Scielo, Redalyc.org, DOAJ, Latindex, Dialnet, Redib, ErihPlus, Scilit, Journal Guide, Miar, Clase, WoS Emerging Sources)
  • Transactions of AESOP – English (published by AESOP)
  • Urbana - English (published by the Department of Architecture of the University of Bologna)
  • Urban Development Issues – English (previously Problemy Rozwoju Miast, published in Polish; supported by Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Republic of Poland) (AGRO, Baidu Scholar, BazEkon, BazHum, CEJSH, CNKI Scholar, CNPIEC, EBSCO, Google Scholar, J-Gate, KESLI-NDSL, Naviga, ExLibris, ReadCube, Summon, TDNet, WanFang Data, WorldCat)
  • Urban Matters – English (short papers in thematic issues; published by The Institute for Urban Research at Malmö University).
  • Urbanities – Journal of  Urban Ethnography – English (ildenaro.it in association with the International Urban Symposium and the Commission on Urban Anthropology) (Scopus, WoS, International Journal Guide, ERIH Plus, Academic Keys Journal Database, JournalGuide-AJE, openaccessarticles.com, InfoBase, SHERPA/RoMEO)
  • The Urban Transcripts Journal – English (published by Urban Transcripts)
  • Water Alternatives – English (ERIH Plus, DOAJ, WoS, Ulrich’s, Index Copernicus , Scirus, Scopus, Google Scholar, ScientificCommons, Agricola, EBSCO, ProQuest, CAB Abstracts, Genamics, Geobase, Open J-Gate, NewJour, OARE)

Journals previously included in the list and (apparently) discountinued

(Simone Tulumello; last update 05/07/2024)