Urban Transformations - Sustainable Urban Development Through Resource Efficiency, Quality of Life and Resilience

Foreword

Contents

Contributors

Introduction: Urban Transformations – Sustainable Urban Development Through Resource Efficiency, Quality of Life and Resilience

Motivation

Sustainability Through “Urban Transformations”

Our Approach and Understanding of Urban Transformations

Resource Efficiency

Quality of Life

Resilience

Synopsis

Purpose of the Volume

References

Part I: Conceptual Approaches of Sustainable Urban Transformations

Outline

Exploring the Extent, Selected Topics and Governance Modes of Urban Sustainability Transformations

1 Introduction

2 Extent of Urban Transformations: Transition Management and the Great Transformation

2.1 Transition Management

2.2 The Great Transformation

3 Topics of Urban Transformations

3.1 The Post-fossil City

3.2 The Resilient City

4 Goverance of Urban Transformations

4.1 Transformative Urban Governance – Illustrated by the WBGU Approach

4.2 Growth Machines and Urban Regimes – Illustrated by the Smart City Concept

5 Conclusion

References

Linking Transition Theories with Theories of Institutions – Implications for Sustainable Urban Infrastructures Between Flexibility and Stability

1 Introduction

2 Theoretical Concepts for the Transformation of Urban Infrastructures

2.1 Transforming Socio-Technical Systems

2.2 On the Steering of Socio-Technical Transformations

3 Socio-Technical Transformations as a Phenomenon of Institutional Change

3.1 The Importance of Institutions in the Urban Transformation Process

3.2 The Theory of Institutional Change

3.2.1 Mechanisms of Institutional Change

3.2.2 The Concept of Adaptive Efficiency

4 Transformation of Urban Infrastructure Systems: The Example of Urban Water Management

4.1 The Need for a Transformation of Urban Water Infrastructure Systems Towards Greater Sustainability

4.2 The Institutional Inertia in the Urban Water Sector as a Challenge

4.3 Starting Points for Steering Transformation in the Urban Water Sector

5 Conclusions

References

Efficiency-Equity-Trade-Off as a Challenge for Shaping Urban Transformations

1 Introduction

2 The Efficiency-Equity Trade-Offs – An Overview

2.1 Economics and the Idea of Efficiency and Trade-Offs

2.2 Social Sciences’ Concepts of Environmental Justice

3 Efficiency and Equity in Urban Transformations: Two Empirical Examples

3.1 Flood Risk Management in England and the Urban-Rural Divide

3.2 Sustainable Infrastructure: Pricing Water Services and the Efficiency-Equity Trade-Off

4 Conclusion

References

On the Connection Between Urban Sustainability Transformations and Multiple Societal Crises

1 Introduction

2 Theoretical Perspectives: Connections Between Transformation and Crises

3 Connection Between Urban Sustainability Transformation and Multiple Crises, Based on Empirical Evidence from Various Arenas of Urban Development

3.1 Introduction to the Urban Context and Examples

3.2 Examples of Crises’ Impacts on Urban Sustainable Development

3.2.1 Urban Water Infrastructure Crisis

3.2.2 Financial Crisis and Urban Austerity: Trade-Offs Between Environmental, Social, and Financial Sustainability

3.3 Cross-Case Assessment

4 Conclusion

References

How to Measure Progress Towards an Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable City? Reflections on Applying the Indicators of Sustainable Development Goal 11 in Germany and India

1 Introduction

2 Aims and Approach

3 The Urban Dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals

4 Discussion

5 Outlook

References

Part II: Urban Resources and Governance

Outline

Sustainable Transformation of Urban Water Infrastructure in Amman, Jordan – Meeting Residential Water Demand in the Face of Deficient Public Supply and Alternative Private Water Markets

1 Introduction: Transforming Urban Water Infrastructure

2 Institutional Settings in Amman

3 Governance Challenges for Residential Water Supply

3.1 Sustainability Problems

3.2 Sustainable Urban Water Supply – The Economic Perspective

3.3 The Transformation Conundrum

3.3.1 Four Obstacles to Sustainably Transforming Amman’s Water Supply Sector

3.3.2 Interdependencies Between the Four Obstacles

4 Governance Implications: Water Demand Policy Is Key

4.1 Overview: Governance Options for Sustainable Water Policy

4.2 Water Pricing

4.2.1 Effectiveness of Pricing

4.2.2 Pricing and Equity Considerations

4.2.3 Acceptance: The Willingness to Pay for Higher Quality

4.2.4 Political Feasibility

4.3 Fighting Illegal Abstractions

4.4 Funding Infrastructure Improvements: Curing Revenue Deficits

4.5 Implementation Strategy

5 Conclusion

References

The TEEB Approach Towards Sustainable Urban Transformations: Demonstrating and Capturing Ecosystem Service Values

1 Introduction

2 Urban Green and Its Services for Human Health and Well-Being

3 Demonstrating the Value of Urban Green

3.1 Which Values Are Covered by the Economic Approach?

3.2 Methodological Approaches to Demonstrating Values of Urban Green

4 Capturing Urban Green in Decision-Making

4.1 Delivering Information

4.2 Enhancing Cooperation and Creating New Alliances

4.3 Strengthening Ecosystem Service Perspectives in Urban and Land Use Planning

4.4 Providing Economic Incentives

5 Concluding Remarks

References

Green Infrastructure for Increased Resource Efficiency in Urban Water Management

1 Introduction

2 Graywater

3 Rainwater and Surface Runoff

4 Wastewater

5 Outlook

References

Sustainable Urban Water Governance – Main Aims, Challenges and Institutional Approaches in Germany and Beyond

1 Introduction

2 Seminal Challenges for Urban Water Infrastructure Development

2.1 Widespread Reinvestment Gaps and Obsolescence of Existing Waste Water Structures

2.2 Demographic Change (Shrinkage/Growth/Aging)

2.3 New and Stricter Environmental Standards

2.4 Increasing Risk of Urban Flash Floods as a Result of Land-Use Change and Climate Change

2.5 Increasingly Dry Summer Seasons and Drought Periods as a Result of Climate Change

2.6 Strong Call for More Energy and Resource Efficiency

2.7 Increasing and Highly Diverging Water Prices

2.8 The Liberalization Question

3 Towards Sustainability: Essential Aims and Requirements of Sustainable Water Infrastructure Development

4 Institutional Foundations for Sustainable Urban Water Infrastructure

4.1 State-Sponsored vs. Competitive Fulfilment of Infrastructure Tasks

4.2 The Regulatory Framework

4.3 Incentives

4.4 Organization

4.5 Planning

5 Conclusion

References

Transitioning the Heat Supply System – Challenges with Special Focus on Bioenergy in the Context of Urban Areas

1 Background and Challenges

2 Heat Supply in Urban Areas

3 Biogenic Urban Sources of Heat Supply

4 Criteria for Promising Supply Systems in Urban Areas for Heat from Biomass

5 Future Technologies for Heat from Biomass

5.1 Heating Technologies Based on Solid Biomass

5.2 Solid Biomass for Production Purposes

5.3 Heating Technologies Based on Gaseous Biofuels

6 Change Management – Integrating People and Processes

7 The Path Ahead for Biogenic Urban Heat Supply

References

From Shrinkage to Regrowth: The Nexus Between Urban Dynamics, Land Use Change and Ecosystem Service Provision

1 Introduction

2 Urban Shrinkage and Regrowth

2.1 The Nexus Between Urban Dynamics and Land Use Changes and the Provision of UES

2.2 Examples for the Interplay of Urban Dynamics, Land Use Changes, and the Provision of UES

2.2.1 Shrinkage

2.2.2 Regrowth

3 Which Challenges Can Be Identified from the Interplay of Urban Dynamics, Land Use Change, and UES Provision?

4 How Do Actors, Policies, and Governance Respond to These Challenges?

5 Conclusions

References

Potentials of Urban Brownfields for Improving the Quality of Urban Space

1 Urban Brownfields as Land Resources

2 The Potential Re-Use of Urban Brownfields

2.1 Revitalisation

2.2 Renaturation

2.3 Multifunctional Land Use Options

3 Potential Spaces for Regrowing Cities – The Case of Leipzig, Germany

4 Leeway in Decision-Making

References

Part III: Quality of Life and Ecosystem Services

Outline

Local Residential Quality from an Interdisciplinary Perspective: Combining Individual Perception and Micrometeorological Factors

1 Introduction

2 Conceptual Framework for Local Residential Quality (LRQ)

2.1 Social Science Perspective to Grasp the Individual Perception

2.2 Micrometeorological Factors Characterizing Local Exposure

2.3 Influences of Urban Landscape Features on Environmental Stressors

3 Methodological Design

3.1 The Case Study: Leipzig and Its Large Housing Estate Grünau

3.2 The Methods Used: Household Survey, Air Quality Measurements and Micrometeorological Simulations

4 Empirical Findings and Their Synopsis

4.1 Survey Findings

4.1.1 Estate Scale: Perceptions of Local Residential Quality

4.1.2 District Scale: Perceptions of Local Residential Quality

4.2 ENVI-met Model Findings

4.3 Synopsis of the Results and Discussion

5 Conclusions

References

Socio-Spatial Distribution of Airborne Outdoor Exposures – An Indicator for Environmental Quality, Quality of Life, and Environmental Justice: The Case Study of Berlin

1 Introduction

2 Effects of Airborne Outdoor Exposure on Human Health and Well-Being

3 Airborne Outdoor Exposures Studied from three Perspectives: Environmental Quality, Quality of Life, and Environmental Justice

4 Aims of the Study

5 Material and Methods

5.1 Study Area

5.2 Data

5.3 Methods to Determine PM2.5 and NO2 Concentrations as well as Social Status

5.3.1 Calculation of PM2.5 and NO2 Concentrations

5.3.2 Social Status Index of the Population

6 Empirical Findings

7 Conclusion

References

What Really Matters in Green Infrastructure for the Urban Quality of Life? Santiago de Chile as a Showcase City

1 Introduction

2 Tackling Questions of Green Infrastructure as a Major Component of Urban Land Use

3 Methodological Considerations

3.1 GI from Different Spatial Perspectives

3.2 Santiago de Chile as a Showcase City

3.3 Elaborated Methods

4 Results: GI Analysis at Multiple Scales

4.1 Mirroring Urban with Suburban Municipalities Auditing Dichotomy and Similarities

4.2 Inter-Municipal Inequalities in the Supply of Green Spaces

4.3 The Benefits of Green Spaces for Different Neighbourhoods

4.3.1 The Perception of Safety

4.3.2 Socially Explicit Usage Categories

4.3.3 Perception of Ecosystem Services by Residents

4.4 The Importance of GI in Neighbourhoods of Newly Constructed Suburban Areas

5 Conclusions

References

Do Urban Biodiversity and Urban Ecosystem Services Go Hand in Hand, or Do We Just Hope It Is That Easy?

1 Introduction

2 Biodiversity

3 Effects of Urbanization on Biodiversity

4 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

5 The Relationship Between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas

6 Conclusions: Developing Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Face of Urban Transformations

References

Part IV: Urban Risks and Resilience

Outline

Resilience, Adaptation and Transformation: Conceptual and Empirical Insights from Two Case Studies in Germany and Chile

1 Introduction

2 Resilience, Adaptation, and Transformation – A Clarification

3 Two Empirical Examples

3.1 Resilience, Transformation and the Experience of Repeated Flood Events in Germany

3.1.1 The Phase from 2002 to 2013: Bouncing Back and Adapting to Future Flood Risks

3.1.2 After the 2013 Flood: Initiation of Transformative Processes?

3.2 Adaptation to Flood Hazard in the Urban Area of Santiago de Chile

3.2.1 From Adaptation to Transformation?

4 Discussion and Conclusion

References

Adapting Built-Up Areas to Climate Change: Assessment of Effects and Feasibility of Adaptation Measures on Heat Hazard

1 Introduction

2 Green and White Adaptation – Urban Responses to Climate Change in the Light of Urban Transformations?

3 The Urban Area of Santiago de Chile

4 Methodological Approach to Assess Green and White Adaptation

5 Current Climate Situation and Residents’ Perception of Heat Hazard in the Study Area

6 Effects of Green and White Adaptation in Built-Up Areas on Heat Hazard

7 Conclusion

References

Climate Proofing of Urban Development: Regulatory Challenges and Approaches in Europe, Germany, and Beyond

1 Introduction

2 Climate Change Impacts in the Urban Context

2.1 Floods: An Increased Risk of Flooding, Rising Sea Levels, and Heavy Rainfall

2.2 Aridity

2.3 Summer Heat

2.4 Changes in Nature and Loss of Biodiversity

3 Climate Proofing as an Administrative and Regulatory Challenge

4 General Challenges of Including Climate Proofing in Urban Development Law

5 Climate Proofing of Urban Development in German and European Law

5.1 Integrated Urban Development: Urban Planning Law

5.2 Riverine Floods: The EU Floods Directive (FD) and the Federal Water Act (WHG)

5.3 Extreme Rainfall and Urban Flash Floods: Water Law and Urban Planning Law

5.4 Heat Waves – Urban Planning and Nature Conservation Law

5.5 Aridity and Water Shortage: Water Law and Urban Planning Law

5.6 Urban Nature and Ecosystem Changes: Nature Conservation Law and Landscape Planning

5.7 Interim Conclusions

6 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) – An Effective Climate Proofing Instrument for Urban Planning?

7 Special “Climate Adaptation Plans” as a Regulatory Option

8 Conclusion

References

Decision Support on Flood Management in Complex Urban Settings. Is Risk Assessment the Right Approach or Do We Need Decision Heuristics?

1 Managing Flood Hazards in Urban Areas – from Hazard Protection to Risk Management

2 Drawbacks of the Risk-Management Approach

3 Decision Support Approaches that Consider Uncertainties

4 Are Heuristics Ecologically Rational for Flood Management Decisions? Hypotheses and Research Outline

References

Reflections

The Acknowledgement of a Variety of Urban Transformation Approaches

The Concept of Urban Transformations as an Umbrella Term

The Inter- and Transdisciplinary Benefits

The Special Feature of Our Urban Transformation Approach

The Merits of Our Approach

A Final Note

Index