Planning urban energy trajectories: London and Barcelona

Abstract

Local and urban authorities are increasingly seen as crucial in translating national and international agreements into locally applicable guidelines for the delivery of climate policy. It has been recognised that energy policy is a crucial area for bringing about emissions reductions, based on the close relationship between energy consumption and generation and greenhouse gas emissions. Against this background, this paper investigates how Barcelona and London are formulating urban planning policies that encourage the use of low-carbon and renewable energy technologies to meet the heating and electricity demands of new buildings and those undergoing major renovation. Drawing on theoretical insights from science and technology and urban studies, the paper contributes to the debate about changing patterns in urban energy provision, arguing that there are general aspects to reconfiguring energy patterns in the city, such as the technological choices involved in articulating more sustainable energy futures and socio-technical obduracies of established ‘urban energy regimes’. It is recognised that place-specific features must be taken into account in the process of reorienting cities' energy trajectories onto more sustainable pathways, in particular with respect to the potential for carbon mitigation from the built environment.