| 1. |
- Mccormick, Kes, et al.
(författare)
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Introduction to a Research Agenda for Sustainable Cities and Communities
- 2023
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Ingår i: A Research Agenda for Sustainable Cities and Communities. - 9781800372023 - 9781800372030
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- How can cities and communities around the world become more sustainable? What can we do as researchers to help them? As we move through the twenty-first century, these questions assume ever-greater importance. Many of the quickest wins for human and planetary health involve reimagining and reconfiguring cities. Activities that generate negative impacts like air pollution and poor health are concentrated in cities, as are the potential benefits of improving resource efficiency and liveability. It is cheaper, easier and more efficient to provide services to people who are concentrated in cities. This fact applies to green infrastructure, sustainable housing, high-speed broadband and low carbon transport alike. Because cities concentrate material and human resources as well as services and infrastructures they offer incredible opportunities to advance sustainability.
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| 2. |
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A Research Agenda for Sustainable Cities and Communities
- 2023
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)abstract
- Global in its outlook, this Research Agenda systematically reviews and critiques existing research on sustainable cities, calling for greater engagement with a diversity of perspectives. It interrogates foundational assumptions in the field and offers reframed perspectives on sustainability. Chapters also explore diverse approaches, actors and domains, locating emerging dynamics and new directions for practitioners.
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| 3. |
- Frantzeskaki, Niki, et al.
(författare)
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A transformative shift in urban ecology toward a more active and relevant future for the field and for cities
- 2024
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Ingår i: Ambio. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 53:6, s. 871-889
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper builds on the expansion of urban ecology from a biologically based discipline—ecology in the city—to an increasingly interdisciplinary field—ecology of the city—to a transdisciplinary, knowledge to action endeavor—an ecology for and with the city. We build on this “prepositional journey” by proposing a transformative shift in urban ecology, and we present a framework for how the field may continue this shift. We conceptualize that urban ecology is in a state of flux, and that this shift is needed to transform urban ecology into a more engaged and action based field, and one that includes a diversity of actors willing to participate in the future of their cities. In this transformative shift, these actors will engage, collaborate, and participate in a continuous spiral of knowledge → action → knowledge spiral and back to knowledge loop, with the goal of co producing sustainable and resilient solutions to myriad urban challenges. Our framework for this transformative shift includes three pathways: (1) a repeating knowledge → action → knowledge spiral of ideas, information, and solutions produced by a diverse community of agents of urban change working together in an “urban sandbox”; (2) incorporation of a social–ecological–technological systems framework in this spiral and expanding the spiral temporally to include the “deep future,” where future scenarios are based on a visioning of seemingly unimaginable or plausible future states of cities that are sustainable and resilient; and (3) the expansion of the spiral in space, to include rural areas and places that are not yet cities. The three interrelated pathways that define the transformative shift demonstrate the power of an urban ecology that has moved beyond urban systems science and into a realm where collaborations among diverse knowledges and voices are working together to understand cities and what is urban while producing sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges and envisioning futures of socially, ecologically, and technologically resilient cities. We present case study examples of each of the three pathways that make up this transformative shift in urban ecology and discuss both limitations and opportunities for future research and action with this transdisciplinary broadening of the field.
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| 4. |
- Frantzeskaki, Niki, et al.
(författare)
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Urban sustainability science : prospects for innovations through a system's perspective, relational and transformations' approaches
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 50, s. 1650-1658
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this perspective, we present how three initial landmark papers on urban sustainability research contributed to the larger sustainability science scholarship and paved the way for the continued development of urban sustainability research. Based on this, we propose three conceptual innovation pathways to trace the progression of urban sustainability science: First, urban sustainability from a system's perspective, meaning that urban sustainability requires integrative solutions to work in the tripled social-ecological-technological system setting. Second, urban sustainability from a (people and place) relational perspective, meaning urban sustainability is a contested and dynamic social-ecological contract of cities. As a governance mission, urban sustainability requires evidence from research that can inform coordinated action to bridge people, places, meanings, visions and ecosystems. Third, urban sustainability from a transformative science perspective, meaning that for urban sustainability to be achieved and progressed, deep transformations are required in systems, relations, policies and governance approaches. Our proposal for the future of urban sustainability science centres on emphasizing the relevance and policy applicability of systems' thinking, value and place thinking and transitions/transformations thinking as fundamental to how knowledge is co-produced by research science, policy and society and becomes actionable.
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| 5. |
- Hoffmann, Sabine, et al.
(författare)
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A Research Agenda for the Future of Urban Water Management : Exploring the Potential of Nongrid, Small-Grid, and Hybrid Solutions
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 54:9, s. 5312-5322
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent developments in high- and middle-income countries have exhibited a shift from conventional urban water systems to alternative solutions that are more diverse in source separation, decentralization, and modularization. These solutions include nongrid, small-grid, and hybrid systems to address such pressing global challenges as climate change, eutrophication, and rapid urbanization. They close loops, recover valuable resources, and adapt quickly to changing boundary conditions such as population size. Moving to such alternative solutions requires both technical and social innovations to coevolve over time into integrated socio-technical urban water systems. Current implementations of alternative systems in high- and middle-income countries are promising, but they also underline the need for research questions to be addressed from technical, social, and transformative perspectives. Future research should pursue a transdisciplinary research approach to generating evidence through socio-technical "lighthouse" projects that apply alternative urban water systems at scale. Such research should leverage experiences from these projects in diverse socio-economic contexts, identify their potentials and limitations from an integrated perspective, and share their successes and failures across the urban water sector.
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| 6. |
- McPhearson, Timon, et al.
(författare)
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A social-ecological-technological systems framework for urban ecosystem services
- 2022
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Ingår i: One Earth. - : Elsevier BV. - 2590-3330 .- 2590-3322. ; 5:5, s. 505-518
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As rates of urbanization and climatic change soar, decision-makers are increasingly challenged to provide innovative solutions that simultaneously address climate change impacts and risks and inclusively ensure quality of life for urban residents. Cities have turned to nature-based solutions to help address these challenges. Nature-based solutions, through the provision of ecosystem services, can yield numerous benefits for people and address multiple challenges simultaneously. Yet, efforts to mainstream nature-based solutions are impaired by the complexity of the interacting social, ecological, and technological dimensions of urban systems. This complexity must be understood and managed to ensure ecosystem-service provisioning is effective, equitable, and resilient. Here, we provide a social-ecological-technological system (SETS) framework that builds on decades of urban ecosystem services research to better understand four core challenges associated with urban nature-based solutions: multi-functionality, systemic valuation, scale mismatch of ecosystem services, and inequity and injustice. The framework illustrates the importance of coordinating natural, technological, and socio-economic systems when designing, planning, and managing urban nature-based solutions to enable optimal social-ecological outcomes.
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| 7. |
- Palm, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Energy communities as accelerators of energy transition in cities
- 2023
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Ingår i: A Research Agenda for Sustainable Cities and Communities. - 9781800372030 - 9781800372023 ; , s. 69-80
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The European Green Deal states that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions should be reduced by at least 50% by 2030, and that there should be no net GHG emissions by 2050. The energy sector is a key in this transformation, and energy communities can as accelerators of transitionsKey findings:•Future scenarios outline a decentralized energy system in which smaller generation units have become more economically viable and turned economies ‘upside down’. •This will be an energy system with increased penetration of information technologies, allowing for more flexible and less hierarchical management of infrastructure. •This future system will also entail, for example, the increased electrification of transportation infrastructure and the increased use of heat pumps in energy-efficient buildings.
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| 8. |
- Pereira, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Transformative spaces in the making : key lessons from nine cases in the Global South
- 2020
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Ingår i: Sustainability Science. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1862-4065 .- 1862-4057. ; 15:1, s. 161-178
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Creating a just and sustainable planet will require not only small changes, but also systemic transformations in how humans relate to the planet and to each other, i.e., social-ecological transformations. We suggest there is a need for collaborative environments where experimentation with new configurations of social-ecological systems can occur, and we refer to these as transformative spaces. In this paper, we seek a better understanding of how to design and enable the creation of transformative spaces in a development context. We analyse nine case studies from a previous special issue on Designing Transformative Spaces that aimed to collect examples of cutting-edge action-oriented research on transformations from the Global South. The analysis showed five design phases as being essential: Problem Definition Phase; Operationalisation Phase; Tactical Phase; Outcome Phase; and Reflection Phase. From this synthesis, we distilled five key messages that should be considered when designing research, including: (a) there are ethical dilemmas associated with creating a transformative space in a system; (b) it is important to assess the readiness of the system for change before engaging in it; (c) there is a need to balance between 'safe' and 'safe-enough' spaces for transformation; (d) convening a transformative space requires an assemblage of diverse methodological frameworks and tools; and (e) transformative spaces can act as a starting point for institutionalising transformative change. Many researchers are now engaging in transdisciplinary transformations research, and are finding themselves at the knowledge-action interface contributing to transformative space-making. We hope that by analysing experiences from across different geographies we can contribute towards better understanding of how to navigate the processes needed for the urgent global transformations that are being called for to create a more equitable and sustainable planet Earth.
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| 9. |
- Pickett, Steward T. A., et al.
(författare)
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Shifting forward : Urban ecology in perspective
- 2024
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Ingår i: Ambio. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 53:6, s. 890-897
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The world has become urban; cities increasingly shape our worldviews, relation to other species, and the large-scale, long-term decisions we make. Cities are nature, but they need to align better with other ecosystems to avoid accelerating climate change and loss of biodiversity. We need a science to guide urban development across the diverse realities of global cities. This need can be met, in part, by shifts in urban ecology and its linkages to related sciences. This perspective is a “synthesis of syntheses”, consolidating ideas from the other articles in the Special Section. It re-examines the role of urban ecology, and explores its integration with other disciplines that study cities. We conclude by summarizing the next steps in the ongoing shift in urban ecology, which is fast becoming an integral part of urban studies.
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| 10. |
- Pickett, Steward T. A., et al.
(författare)
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The relational shift in urban ecology : From place and structures to multiple modes of coproduction for positive urban futures
- 2024
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Ingår i: Ambio. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 53:6, s. 845-870
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This perspective emerged from ongoing dialogue among ecologists initiated by a virtual workshop in 2021. A transdisciplinary group of researchers and practitioners conclude that urban ecology as a science can better contribute to positive futures by focusing on relationships, rather than prioritizing urban structures. Insights from other relational disciplines, such as political ecology, governance, urban design, and conservation also contribute. Relationality is especially powerful given the need to rapidly adapt to the changing social and biophysical drivers of global urban systems. These unprecedented dynamics are better understood through a relational lens than traditional structural questions. We use three kinds of coproduction—of the social-ecological world, of science, and of actionable knowledge—to identify key processes of coproduction within urban places. Connectivity is crucial to relational urban ecology. Eight themes emerge from the joint explorations of the paper and point toward social action for improving life and environment in urban futures.
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