Sustainable Cities and Society: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 2210-6707 · ISSN 2210-6715 · Elsevier BV · Environmental Science
Half of the articles Sustainable Cities and Society accepted in 2021 were accepted within 110 days of submission (n = 94); the middle half took 70–154 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does Sustainable Cities and Society take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 94 | 70 | 110 | 154 | — | 0.0% | 100% |
Distribution in 2021
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 2 | 2.1% |
| 30–59 | 7 | 7.4% |
| 60–89 | 27 | 28.7% |
| 90–119 | 16 | 17.0% |
| 120–149 | 18 | 19.1% |
| 150–179 | 12 | 12.8% |
| 180–209 | 5 | 5.3% |
| 210–239 | 4 | 4.3% |
| 240–269 | 3 | 3.2% |
| 270–299 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 300–329 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 330–359 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 360+ | 0 | 0.0% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2021 articles appeared online within 4 days (middle half 3–8 days, n = 94).
From submission to online publication, the median was 121 days (middle half 77–161 days, n = 94).
Read these numbers carefully
- These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
- Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
- Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.
Open access status and publishing fees
Hybrid (subscription journal with an open-access option). Listed APC: about $4,870 (as reported by OpenAlex).
OpenAPC has fewer than 5 reported payments for this journal in 2023–2025, so no typical amount is shown.
Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.
Integrity and indexing signals
Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.
| Listed in DOAJ | No |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2021 | None found (the journal may be in PubMed through PubMed Central instead) |
| Retractions | 0 retracted articles among 167 added to PubMed in 2021–2025, per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 0.0% of 2021 articles |
| Publication volume | 100 articles added to PubMed in 2021. |
Topics and scope
- Urban Heat Island Mitigation (15% of indexed topics)
- Building Energy and Comfort Optimization (11% of indexed topics)
- Urban Green Space and Health (8% of indexed topics)
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services (8% of indexed topics)
- Urban Transport and Accessibility (6% of indexed topics)
- Smart Grid Energy Management (5% of indexed topics)
Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side
Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2021 figures are compared with the 2021 median of Sustainable Cities and Society, 110 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building and Environment | 74 (2021, n = 55) | ≈$4,280 | — | No | No |
| International Journal of Biometeorology | 195 (2021, n = 145) | ≈$3,890 | — | No | Yes |
| Health & Place | 163 (2021, n = 184) | ≈$3,380 | — | No | Yes |
| Indoor Air | 109 (2021, n = 151) | ≈$2,490 | — | No | Yes |
| International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | 38 (2021, n = 13,517) | ≈$3,016 | $2,523 (194 payments) | No | Yes |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Sustainable Cities and Society take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles Sustainable Cities and Society accepted in 2021 were accepted within 110 days of submission (n = 94); the middle half took 70–154 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are Sustainable Cities and Society articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2021 appeared online within 4 days of acceptance (n = 94).
Does Sustainable Cities and Society charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: about $4,870 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 2210-6707; NLM ID 101735304; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 94 articles accepted in 2021 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.
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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.