Advancing sustainable urban transformation

McCormick, Kes; Anderberg, Stefan; Coenen, Lars; Neij, Lena

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.01.003

Cited by 443 publications

(237 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Cities and regions in particular have been identified as a key for sustainable development (McCormick et al 2013). Proximity advantages at the urban and regional levels facilitate the mobilization and integration of various actor groups and initiatives .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of higher education institutions in regional transition paths towards sustainability

Radinger-Peer

Pflitsch

2017

Rev Reg Res

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The present paper investigates the role of the located Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the transformation towards sustainability of the city of Linz as well as the region of Upper Austria. We argue that HEIs have the potential to spur a regional transition towards sustainability via the channels of teaching, research and outreach. We furthermore take into account that organisational-and field-level drivers influence the role of HEIs within the regional transition paths towards sustainability (RTPS). We chose an explorative research design in order to give a realistic picture of the potentials and limitations of HEIs' involvement in regional transitions to sustainability. The role of the five HEIs located in the city of Linz is studied through in-depth expert interviews and a comprehensive document analysis. The investigation reveals that there is no contribution of HEIs as a whole to RTPS, but that the impact is dependent on individual highly engaged "frontrunners" enacting change and at the same time on leadership from the university management. Moreover, regulative drivers at the field-level and normative as well as cognitive drivers at the organisational-level affect HEIs' contribution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of higher education institutions in regional transition paths towards sustainability

Radinger-Peer

Pflitsch

2017

Rev Reg Res

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“…Today, urban projects across the globe are being utilized as a means of making cities more sustainable [1][2][3]. The increasing number of sustainable urban initiatives seems to indicate a positive future for our cities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transition Thinking Incorporated: Towards a New Discussion Framework on Sustainable Urban Projects

Devolder

Block

2015

Sustainability

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Today, cities worldwide are engaged in urban projects and activities in a concerted drive towards sustainable development. However, the concept of "sustainable urban projects" is inherently normative, subjective and ambiguous. Furthermore, the popularity of sustainable urban initiatives does not guarantee that increased pressure on dominant unsustainable urban systems will occur. In this article, we argue that strong urban debates on these initiatives and on urban sustainability are required to facilitate and stimulate urban systems towards a more socially just and environmentally sustainable future. When we say "urban debates" we mean substantive talks and detailed discussions about the type of cities we want to live in and about a shared understanding of sustainable urban projects and how they affect urban systems. We aim to contribute to that objective by developing a discussion framework on sustainable urban projects that frames sustainable development as a challenge that concentrates on both ecological and social concerns and that avoids a sole reliance on technology fixes. But above all, we also incorporate insights and findings from transition thinking to focus on radical changes or transformations of urban systems and to acknowledge the importance of so-called "niches". In this article we describe the fundamentals, the surplus value and the utility of the framework. The article contains empirical material from a pilot-study in Ghent, Belgium.

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“…Independently of the forms and concepts of local sustainability transitions, McCormic et al [41] identify two key processes or drivers and two key structures regarded by many scholars as crucial to sustainable urban transformation. The two processes are 'governance and planning' and 'collaboration and learning'; the two structures are 'infrastructure and resilience' and 'buildings and precincts'.…”

Section: Local Sustainability Transitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transforming Well-Being in Wuppertal—Conditions and Constraints

2017

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Conventional welfare production is unsustainable. A societal emphasis on (green) economic growth may therefore be superseded by an extended concept of well-being. Taking a transformative approach, science may take part in catalysing this challenging transformation of both the understanding and the level of well-being. Instead of economic growth at the expense of sustainability, we aim to cooperatively refocus on integrating economic, social and ecological perspectives into a more holistic, sustainable approach to individual and municipal well-being in Wuppertal (Germany). Therefore, the research team investigates and develops concepts of local sustainable well-being production, e.g., by employing a new indicator system and the real-world laboratory approach. What are the conditions and constraints of transforming well-being in Wuppertal and most particularly of the role of scientists in this endeavour? Answering this research question with a comparative case study approach, we have analysed our resources, processes, contexts and normativity. The results show that the role of 'transformative scientists' in Wuppertal faces constraints of timing and funding, as well as challenges from the different demands of science and practice. Hampered co-design interacts with role conflicts. Open-minded stakeholders are crucial for local well-being transformation, as is the awareness that urban residential districts have bottomed out. However, the normative sustainability claims of the transformative research project are not fully shared by all of its stakeholders, which is both necessary and challenging for transformative research.

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Advancing sustainable urban transformation

Cited by 443 publications

References 26 publications

The role of higher education institutions in regional transition paths towards sustainability

The role of higher education institutions in regional transition paths towards sustainability

Transition Thinking Incorporated: Towards a New Discussion Framework on Sustainable Urban Projects

Transforming Well-Being in Wuppertal—Conditions and Constraints

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