Territorial and Community Resilience in Circular and Green Transitions: Pathways for Sustainable Transport, Environmental Performance and Long-Term Adaptive Capacity

Environmental sustainability research increasingly emphasizes the importance of long-term resilience across territories, communities, and socio-technical systems. As regions face the compounded challenges of climate change, resource depletion, and systemic vulnerability, the integration of circular economy and green transition pathways has emerged as a promising avenue to enhance adaptive capacity. Yet, there remains a pressing need to understand how these transitions interact with territorial systems, influence governance structures, and foster sustainable local development. Recent studies highlight progress in low-carbon infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and sustainable urban planning, demonstrating measurable contributions to environmental performance. However, gaps persist in understanding the synergies and trade-offs between sustainability and resilience, particularly across different scales and contexts. Exploring these intersections is crucial to advancing the discourse on systemic sustainability transitions that not only reduce vulnerability but also strengthen the adaptive and transformative potential of communities.This Research Topic aims to advance conceptual and empirical understanding of how circular and green transitions can reinforce territorial resilience. Specifically, it seeks contributions that investigate how these pathways strengthen adaptive capacity, reduce environmental vulnerability, and promote equitable and robust development across urban, rural, and regional contexts. The objective is to identify mechanisms through which circular practices, innovative technologies, and environmental policy instruments contribute to sustainable and resilient transformations. By integrating methodological pluralism and interdisciplinary approaches, this Research Topic seeks to clarify how sustainability initiatives translate into tangible resilience outcomes and to explore the interplay between ecological, economic, and social dimensions of long-term territorial robustness.To gather further insights into the multi-scalar dynamics of resilient and sustainable territorial systems, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Circular economy strategies for territorial resilience- Low-carbon and nature-based infrastructure for adaptive capacity- Sustainable transport, mobility, and logistics systems- Governance models for managing sustainability–resilience trade-offs- Methods and tools for assessing resilience outcomes (e.g. LCA, MFA, multi-criteria analysis)- The role of community engagement and social innovation in resilience-building- Regional policy frameworks and performance monitoring for green transitionsWe welcome original research, reviews, methods papers, policy analyses, and perspective articles addressing these themes. Topic editors: Tamara Rađenović, Giannis Adamos Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81152/territorial-and-community-resilience-in-circular-and-green-transitions-pathways-for-sustainable-transport-environmental-performance-and-long-term-adaptive-capacity