Editorial: Advancing the Debate on Architecture, Planning, and Built Environment Research

Abstract

With an acceptance rate that does not exceed 25% of the total papers and articles submitted to the journal, IJAR – International Journal of Architectural Research is moving forward to position itself among the leading journals in architecture and urban studies worldwide. As this is the case since the beginning of volume 5, issue 1, March 2011, one must note that the journal has been covered by several data and index bases since its inception including Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, EBSCO-Current Abstracts-Art and Architecture, INTUTE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Pro-Quest, Scopus-Elsevier and many university library databases across the globe. This is coupled with IJAR being an integral part of the archives and a featured collection of ArchNet and the Aga Khan Documentation Centre at MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.In 2014, IJAR was included in Quartile 2 / Q2 list of Journals both in ‘Architecture’ and ‘Urban Studies.’ As of May 2015, IJAR is ranked 23 out of 83 journals in ‘Architecture’ and 59 out of 119 in ‘Urban Studies.’ Rankings are based on the SJR (SCImago Journal Ranking); an Elsevier- SCOPUS indicator that measures the scientific influence of the average article in a journal. SJR is a measure of scientific influence of scholarly journals that accounts for both the number of citations received by a journal and the importance or prestige of the journals where such citations come from. See here for more information (http://www.scimagojr.com/index.php) and (http://www.journalmetrics.com/sjr.php). While the journal is now on top of many of the distinguished journals in Elsevier- SCOPUS database, we will keep aspiring to sustain our position and move forward to Q1 group list and eventually in the top 10 journal list in the field. However, this requires sustained efforts and conscious endeavours that give attention to quality submissions through a rigorous review process. This edition of IJAR: volume 9, issue 2, July 2015 includes debates on a wide spectrum of issues, explorations and investigations in various settings. The issue encompasses sixteen papers addressing cities, settlements, and projects in Europe, South East Asia, and the Middle East. Papers involve international collaborations evidenced by joint contributions and come from scholars in universities, academic institutions, and practices in Belgium; Egypt; Greece; Italy; Jordan; Malaysia; Palestine; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Spain; Turkey; and the United Kingdom. In this editorial I briefly outline the key issues presented in these papers, which include topics relevant to social housing, multigenerational dwelling, practice-based research, sustainable design and biomimetic models, learning environments and learning styles, realism and the post modern condition, development and planning, urban identity, contemporary landscapes, and cultural values and traditions.

Engaged Urban Pedagogy

“…This is evidenced by the rise of associated techniques in spatial planningfor example, Frank et al, (2014: 75) found 'extensive use of an online, interactive, virtual learning environment'. There is also an alignment of active learning with the communities of learning as a praxis for planning (Cantor et al, 2014;Kallus, in Frank and da Rosa Pires, 2021) and placemaking (Altay, 2014;Salama 2010Salama , 2016.…”

Innovation of an Effective Blended Learning Technology in Architectural Engineering and its Validation by Response Data Analysis

“…The research-based learning technology, an active and experiential technological approach [33,34], in architectural education, may also be treated as a part of the blended learning technological approach produced by the blending of different methodologies.…”

The diagonal axis from VERB to VOID: interdisciplinarity in basic design studio education

“…As Salama (2010, p. 278) argues, “recent discourse on built environment education asserts that a course mission should foster a learning environment that nurtures exploration and critical thinking”. This can be achieved by incorporating inquiry-based learning methods into architectural design pedagogy in order to generate active and experiential learning (Salama, 2010, pp. 278-295; Djabarouti and O'Flaherty, 2019, pp.…”