Philosophy and Urban Affairs

Philosophical Perspectives on Coastal and Island Cities

Cities across the globe face increasing threats from climate change: sea-level rise, intensified storms, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, and shifting environmental conditions. However, coastal and island cities are not merely sites of future concern. Many are already living with these realities and will continue to confront them indefinitely.

Yet, these experiences are far from uniform. For instance, the challenges New York City faces differ significantly from those in Manila, Taipei, or Miami, where variations in topography, history, infrastructure, international relations, governance, and culture shape how vulnerability is experienced and how resilience is conceptualized, planned, and carried out.

Scholars across disciplines have generated extensive research addressing these situations. While this work provides invaluable empirical and technical insight, philosophical investigation can complement it by examining the conceptual, ethical, existential, ontological, social, and political dimensions of life in coastal and island cities.

The purpose of this call is to encourage philosophers to contribute perspectives that deepen collective efforts to understand and confront these realities. Submissions may approach the topic from any philosophical perspective or tradition, provided they engage substantively with the distinctive conditions and experiences of coastal and island cities.

Articles should be 6,000 words or fewer, excluding references and notes.

Submission Deadline: August 15, 2026