Energy Re-Shift for an Urbanizing World

Abstract

This essay considers the rural-to-urban transition and correlates it with urban energy demands. Three distinct themes are inspected and interrelated to develop awareness for an urbanizing world: internal urban design and innovation, technical transition, and geopolitical change. Data were collected on the use of energy in cities and, by extension, nation states over the last 30 years. The urban population boom continues to pressure the energy dimension with heavily weighted impacts on less developed regions. Sustainable urban energy will need to reduce resource inputs and environmental impacts and decouple economic growth from energy consumption. Fossil fuels continue to be the preferred method of energy for cities; however, an increased understanding is emerging that sustainable energy forms can be implemented as alternatives. Key to this transition will be the will to invest in renewables (i.e., solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass), efficient infrastructure, and smart eco-city designs. This essay elucidates how the technical transition of energy-friendly technologies focuses on understanding the changes in the energy mix from non-renewable to renewable. Smart electricity storage grids with artificial intelligence can operate internationally and alleviate some geopolitical barriers. Energy politics is shown to be a problematic hurdle with case research examples specific to Central and Eastern Europe. The energy re-shift stressed is a philosophical re-thinking of modern cities as well as a new approach to the human-energy relationship.

In Search of the Innovative Digital Solutions Enhancing Social Pro-Environmental Engagement

“…Urbanized areas are confronted with challenges, notably including farreaching environmental decay and climatological change, unequal social participation, and ever-rising mobility trends. Cities therefore require advanced infrastructure, sustainable economic growth, environmental and climate-neutral facilities, and smart and knowledgeintensive strategies for socio-economic prosperity and well-being [1,2]. In order to address climate change, smart cities require low-carbon eco-strategies for urban resilience, while at the same time enhancing social participation to strengthen public-private partnerships [3,4].…”

Land suitability mapping using GIS‐based ANP for residential zoning: Case research from central Iran

“…With more than half of the world's population living in urban centers, this is making the urban landscape (relatively) the fastest growing land cover type (Dominguez, de Guzman, Reandelar, & Thi Phung, 2018) as well as, arguably, the most important in terms of where and how human beings live. Our focus on Markazi Province simulates some of these global changes (e.g., the rural‐to‐urban transition; Cirella et al., 2021) and offers a novel microcosm of case research from Iran and urban progress in the region.…”

Advancements in the Energy Sector and the Socioeconomic Development Nexus

“…Cirella et al [16] presented an expository essay that looked at the rural-to-urban transition and correlated it with urban energy demands. The essay examined three distinct themes to developing awareness for urbanization: internal urban design and innovation, technical transition, and geopolitical change.…”

“…The essay examined three distinct themes to developing awareness for urbanization: internal urban design and innovation, technical transition, and geopolitical change. Over the last 30 years, the authors argued that "the urban population boom continues to pressure the energy dimension with heavily weighted impacts on less developed regions; [moreover, unsustainable] urban energy will need to reduce resource inputs and environmental impacts" [16]. It was noted that a decoupling of economic growth from energy consumption will also need to be facilitated regardless of fossil fuel usage (i.e., the preferred method of energy for cities).…”

“…It was noted that a decoupling of economic growth from energy consumption will also need to be facilitated regardless of fossil fuel usage (i.e., the preferred method of energy for cities). They stated an "increased understanding is emerging that sustainable energy forms can be implemented as alternatives" [16]. The key to this future transition will be the will to invest in renewables (i.e., solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass), efficient infrastructure, and smart eco-city designs.…”