Human–Animal Interactions and Sustainable Local Governance

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is entitled 'Human–Animal Interactions and Sustainable Local Governance'. Earth's entry into the Anthropocene era, where human activity is the most influential force, is reshaping our relationship with animals and the environment in the human living space. However, contrary to the popular opinion that human beings are the only factor that shapes the environment and subjugates animals to their needs, it seems that non-human animals and the environment also play a significant role in human social and political reality, urban planning and local environmental governance. Urbanization is reshaping the interactions between nature and humans in urban areas. Accordingly, the impact of animals and in particular the impact of interactions between humans and animals on cities, urban planning and local environmental governance necessitate investigation and rethinking our approach. For example, as urbanization increases, there is also a global increase in animal populations within urban areas, a phenomenon that has profound implications, creates new sustainable challenges and potential conflicts and sparks unexpected opportunities and alliances. Thus, alongside potential conflicts, it also provides an opportunity for citizens to engage in the welfare of animals and reacquaint themselves with nature, which, according to the concept of biophilia, is mentally and physically beneficial. Therefore, the overarching objective of this Special Issue is to explore how encounters between humans and animals or wildlife affect the dynamics of sustainable local environment, local environmental crises, local environmental governance, local stakeholders' collaborations and effective local environmental policies to reduce costs and maximize local sustainability.

How should we research, understand and tackle the connections between and mutual effects of human–animal interactions and sustainable local governance? There is limited academic research on the complexities of the intersection between research on human–animal relations and urban rural space, environmental sustainability and policy and finally governance and politics. Systematic theories, suitable methodologies and practical guidelines for capturing the administrative effects of encounters between people and animals and their consequences for sustainable local governance and policies are in their infancy. However, regulators and local authorities are already forced to cope with issues related to sustainability far beyond the ecological aspects that are reshaping the social, cultural and political fabric of the world. Regulators and local authorities must develop a spatial response to this new reality in which animals and wild animals enter and dwell in rural and urban spaces. Thus, this Special Issue invites the submission of original papers on observations that connect human–animal interactions and sustainable local governance. Its aim is to investigate sustainability and sustainable local governance from a less-explored viewpoint, i.e., human–animal interactions.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Public management and policies related to urbanism and wildlife;
• Urban environmental crisis, invasive species and sustainable cities;
• Local environmental management, waste management and animals;
• Sustainable local governance, animals' regulation, Zoopolis, biophilia and animals' 'right to the city';
• Wildlife management, ecology and sustainable local governance;
• Power relations in sustainable development and animals as political agents;
• Urban design, environmental planning, regionalism and human–animal relations;
• Economic, regulatory and legal aspects of sustainability and animals;
• Biodiversity, conservation and sustainable local governance;
• Eco-anxiety, local identity and sustainable local governance;
• Animal welfare services and sustainable local governance;
• Environmental activism and human–animal interactions;
• Rural studies and human–animal relations;
• Research methods for examining the relationship between human–animal interactions and sustainable local governance.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Itai Beeri
Prof. Dr. Ofira Ayalon
Dr. Orit Hirsch-Matsioulas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sustainable local governance
• local sustainability
• human–animal interactions
• human–wildlife conflicts
• urban conflict management
• local environmental strategies
• local environmental policy
• local environmental governance
• quality of local governance