Abstract
Cities and their growing resource demands threaten global resource security. This study identifies the hotspots of imports in cities to redirect resources to where they are most needed, based on the system overall resource effectiveness to maximise the use of all resources available. This paper develops a taxonomy of resource-use behaviour based on the clustering patterns of resource utilisation and conversion across interconnected urban systems. We find high tendencies of consumer-like behaviour in a multi-city system because tertiary sectors are concentrated in urban areas while the producing sectors are located outside and hence, results in high utilisation but low output. The clustering taxonomy emphasises that the absence of producers in the system causes cities to rely on the imported resources for growth. Cities can be resource-effective by having a more diversified industrial structure to extend the pathways of resource flows, closing the circularity gap between the suppliers and consumers.
Highlights
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has warned further urbanisation could raise the annual intake of resources to nearly 90 bn tonnes through urban material consumption by 2050, a 125% increase from 40 billion tonnes in 20101
In our case study of Great Britain’s urban systems, we evaluate the effectiveness of resource use in cities using open system network effectiveness analysis (OSNEA) and identify the clustering taxonomy of urban resource use based on their roles in the wider interconnected networks
The OSNEA assessment will inform policymakers about an often-overlooked criterion of urban sustainability based on the effectiveness standing how urban systems perform in terms of resource performances of the cities to utilise their limited resources effectiveness through an in-depth investigation of their consumer available and reduce the needs to extract new resources as levers characteristics and clustering taxonomy of resource-use
Summary
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has warned further urbanisation could raise the annual intake of resources to nearly 90 bn tonnes through urban material consumption by 2050, a 125% increase from 40 billion tonnes in 20101. As the demand for resources continues to grow, resource requirements of urban areas have significantly exceeded the biocapacity of the planet, as an estimated four out of nine planetary boundaries have been surpassed causing irreversible change to the environment[2,3]. To achieve a long-term sustainable living environment in cities, urban consumption must be regulated through more effective ways of using the resources available to reduce the demands for new material extraction. This means a global transition towards lowcarbon resource-effective cities is instrumental in urban governance to align with the sustainable development goals[6]
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