Sustainable Urban Policies Research Articles

Strengthening city–university partnerships to advance sustainability solutions: a study of research collaborations between the University of British Columbia and City of Vancouver

Purpose This paper aims to investigate sustainability research collaborations between the City of Vancouver and the University of British Columbia (UBC), as a case study to better understand how to use city–university partnerships to advance effective urban sustainability policy and practices. The study compiles a basic inventory of partnerships since 2010, describes their benefits, areas for improvement, barriers to collaboration and proposes ways to increase and improve future collaborations. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on an electronic survey completed by 58 individuals and interviews with 13 such participants who were faculty members and staff at UBC and Vancouver. Findings Most collaborations responded to climate change in some way, were initiated through informal professional relationships and involved single departments in each organization. Projects ranged in size, duration and level of municipal funding. Although project participants were generally happy with past experiences, future collaborations could be improved by increasing leadership commitment and resources and producing more mutually beneficial outcomes. Barriers included lacking awareness of potential partners, difficulty aligning municipal needs with academic research interests and divergent expectations about project resources. The study recommends introducing formal processes to help identify overlapping interests and opportunities, enhance co-creation of projects and increase leadership and resources. Practical implications The findings may inform the development and implementation of future city–university partnerships to advance sustainable policies and practices in urban areas. Originality/value This paper contributes by reviewing experiences with city–university collaborations and offering evidence-based recommendations to improve them, thereby increasing opportunities for more effective urban sustainability solutions.

Cycling through the Landscape of Advertising in Amsterdam: A Commuters Perspective

This paper examines how outdoor advertising shapes the perception and meaning of commuting for cyclists in Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and how individualised constructions of place arise during the journey. New insights are developed for a sustainable urban policy, whilst challenging consumer research methodologies through an emphasis on urban rhythm. Interviews were enhanced through the use of video cameras, capturing the visual attention of advertisements and recording bodily engagement with the road. In contrast to much academic and industry research, it is found that the reception of advertising landscapes differs significantly between transportation types, with socio-cultural differences specific to Amsterdam also determining distinctions for cyclists. The use of data by advertisers to track the movement of cyclists is a contentious issue, with wider consequences for privacy and consent in urban daily life. This paper breaks new ground for sustainability in cycling, re-evaluating the daily-embodied experience of commercial landscapes for commuter-cyclists.

Sustainable urban mobility in Istanbul: Challenges and prospects

Rapid urban growth and rising mobility demand in megacities having a population of more than 10 million people in emerging economies call for a consistent and comprehensive urban mobility policy framework. Implementing sustainable urban mobility policies in these cities is complicated by fragmented governance structures, conflicting policy priorities and lack of effective financing mechanisms. The city of Istanbul, with a population of nearly 15 million people, has been grappling with rapidly increasing urban mobility problems such as chronic traffic congestion, increasing motorization, overcrowded public transport services, air and noise pollution. Although major infrastructure investments such as new metro and tram lines, a bus rapid transit (BRT) line and capacity increases in public bus network have been undertaken in recent years, the objective of achieving a modal shift from car use to more sustainable transport modes such as public transport, cycling and walking is far from being realized. The focus on megaprojects such as Marmaray, Eurasia Tunnel and Third Bridge further complicate the urban mobility landscape by bringing about conflicting policy priorities. In this paper, a comprehensive review and analysis of Istanbul’s urban transport policies and strategies are scrutinized under the framework of sustainable urban mobility paradigm to better understand the mobility predicament which have long stifled the quality of life of Istanbulites. The challenges are identified, recommendations are proposed, and prospects are put forward as to how to achieve sustainable urban mobility in Istanbul.

Impact of urban heat island mitigation measures on microclimate and pedestrian comfort in a dense urban district of Lebanon

The interaction between microclimate and buildings is predominant in urban areas. Thus, the urbanization constitutes the main cause of UHI formation. During the last years, several studies exposed the critical effects of UHI in the Mediterranean climate. As a result, there is a need for sustainable systems and urban policies to reduce heat islands in urban areas. This paper aims to present the impact of some UHI mitigation strategies in a Mediterranean city, Beirut Lebanon. Numerical microclimate simulations of an existing Lebanese district of Dora in Beirut, are performed using ENVI-met software. The study focuses on the potential of UHI mitigation scenarios to create freshness in summer conditions. The strategies are based on the increase of green surfaces, on the installation of water spray and fountains, and on the increase of the albedo of the facades and roofs of the buildings. A focus is carried out on white models, dealing with the albedo modification of roads and buildings. The effect of the proposed strategies on the pedestrian comfort is also evaluated by using the physiologically equivalent temperature PET. Results pointed out that implementation of water features contributes to a significant reduction of ambient temperature reaching a maximum of 5 °C. In term of outdoor thermal comfort, the results showed the important role of green areas on the improvement of pedestrian comfort during daytime. Finally, this research supports a set of actions that could be helpful for urban designer to create cool islands in the Lebanese neighborhoods.

Integrated urban mobility policies in metropolitan areas: A system dynamics approach for the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region in Germany

In today’s world, urban systems play an important role in sustainable economic development. In particular, urbanisation trends and the increasing demands of urban mobility place additional pressure on existing transportation infrastructure, and this creates new challenges for urban planners in terms of developing integrated and sustainable urban mobility policies. Here, we take a novel and holistic approach to analysing transformative pathways towards sustainable urban mobility, considering the complex dynamics in metropolitan regions. To achieve this, we develop a toolset to assess the impact of potential measures to be taken by decision makers. Our innovative approach is based on the introduction of a new system framework to link the interrelated sector parameters of mobility systems by considering the effects of innovative mixed methods (both qualitative and quantitative) on scenario development and evaluation on the basis of global trends at the macro scale and their specific influences on the mobility sector at the local scale. To this end, we used a participatory modelling approach to develop scenarios and evaluate them as integrated simulation runs via a comprehensive and holistic system dynamics (SD) model. Thus, we estimated dynamic interdependencies between all of the factors relating to the mobility sector and then assigned business decision-making criteria to the urban systems. Furthermore, we introduced a sustainable net present value framework to estimate the sustainability outcomes of government investment in urban mobility infrastructure. A case study relating to the Rhine-Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region in Germany was applied in order to simulate four scenarios co-created with stakeholders involved in our study, namely, Smart City, Sustainable/Healthy City, Deurbanisation and Business-as-Usual (BaU), which served as a solid basis from which to quantify path dependencies in terms of policy implementation. At the same time, recommendations were derived for sustainable mobility transformation within metropolitan regions.

Travel preferences of multimodal transport systems in emerging markets: The case of Beijing

Abstract Metropolises in emerging markets are facing serious urban transport challenges. Understanding people’s travel preferences is crucial for designing effective sustainable urban policies. Little attention has been paid to studying travel preferences in multimodal transport systems in these markets. This study estimates the travel preferences in the metropolitan area of Beijing, which is notoriously plagued with high degrees of congestion. We administered a series of interwoven stated preference experiments on travel behavior. A semi-random sample of 2652 respondents participated in the experiments. The data were pooled and a scaled mixed logit model was used for estimation. The results provide rich information on how trade-offs are made among the manipulated attributes regarding travel time, cost, convenience, and reliability. Many findings deviate from results obtained in developed countries. A contrast standing out is that travelers in Beijing place much less weight on possible delays caused by traffic congestion.

Why does everyone think cities can save the planet?

This article identifies and explains an underlying transition in global urban policy and discourse from the city as a sustainability problem to the city as a sustainability solution. We argue that contemporary policy discourses of cities saving the planet should be understood in the context of three major historical developments which have their roots in the 1970s and which intensified throughout the 1990s. The first is sprawl: the urban sustainability policy agenda in the Global North has been in large part a reaction to several decades of urban expansion and car-based planning. The second is informal settlements: since the introduction of UN-HABITAT in 1978, an international policy agenda has formed around addressing the environmental deficits associated with processes of informal urbanisation above all in the Global South. And the third is climate change, as the overarching concern that connects urban-environmental problems and policies in the North and South. We then contextualise the articles in this special issue by outlining a new research agenda for decoding the notion that cities can save the planet, which emphasises the need for an historical, multi-spatial, political and representational analysis of urban sustainability thinking and policy.

Policy of Sustainable Development of Urban Tourism

Abstract Introduction. City tourism is one of the most frequently chosen forms of tourism consisting of many motives for doing it. On the modern tourist market, there are many negative phenomena that significantly affect the functioning of urban tourist destinations but primarily have an impact on the decisions of potential tourists about choosing cities as a tourist destination. These phenomena pose a threat to the development of both cities and tourism. They are conditioned by endogenous factors, which result from the functioning of the city, and exogenous ones, i.e. those related to socio-economic relations of the city with the environment, including tourist traffic. Cities, as a destination or transit tourist destination, are characterized by high concentration of tourist traffic; hence, the negative phenomena often affect urban tourist space with great intensity. The aim of the study is to present the author’s concept of sustainable urban tourism policy assumptions. After presenting the concept of sustainable urban tourism development policy, the following issues will be discussed: basics of tourism policy, urban tourism, sustainable tourism, classification of threats related to the sustainable development of urban tourism. Material and methods. The study is of theoretical and conceptual nature. The following research methods will be used: critical analysis of the literature and methods of logical operations. Results. The effect of the considerations is to propose the assumptions of the concept of sustainable urban tourism development policy. Conclusions. The most important problems related to the functioning of sustainable tourism were indicated, taking into account the impact of tourism on the natural environment and on overtourism.

Sustaining What Is Unsustainable: A Review of Urban Sprawl and Urban Socio-Environmental Policies in North America and Western Europe

Urban sprawl and its economic, social, and environmental consequences are central issues for approaching more sustainable forms of life and production. This review provides a broad theoretical exploration of the main features of urban sprawl but also of sustainable urban policies in Western Europe and North America. Urban sprawl can be observed in both continents, as the search for higher standards of economic, social, and environmental sustainability is also an essential feature of urban governance in the last years. Urban sprawl has been slightly weaker in Western Europe, as its are cities generally more compact. Moreover, in Western Europe, urban sprawl has sometimes been confronted with ex-ante preventive policies. However, in North America, urban sprawl from the 1950s has been an essential element of the social ordering and, thus, of the American way of life. In both cases, urban sprawl has generated successive rounds of accumulation of built capital, which is currently managed in sustainable ways essentially through ex-post and palliative measures, that is, trying to “sustain what is unsustainable”. In other words, the idea is to make urban sprawl more sustainable but without altering its main morphological elements.

Beyond tabulated utopias: Action and contradiction in urban environments

In this commentary I reflect upon the possibilities for action to deliver sustainable and just urban environments. I depart from the questions that inspire this special issue: what is it about cities that enables them to make a substantial contribution to environmental dilemmas? And how did cities become the darling trope of the international environmental policy regime? I use the metaphor of ‘the Crystal Palace’ to situate proposals for sustainable urbanism in a spectrum of options between naïve idealism and full-fledged cynicism. I argue that between those two extremes there are multiple alternatives to advance sustainable futures. Urban political ecology (UPE) is in a privileged position to reveal the contradictions inherent in the current incarnation of sustainable urbanism. That is why UPE scholars cannot miss the opportunity to produce context-relevant research to change urban sustainability policies and beliefs. In the second part of this commentary, I explore a case study already presented elsewhere in the special issue. The case of the successive unsuccessful projects for Olympic candidacy in Jaca (Spain) shows the impact of a series of speculative design exercises to build a technocratic eco-city. However, Jaca’s Olympic dreams have historical and cultural roots in the town. Its inhabitants have both propelled and contested the Olympic project at different moments over the evolution of the project. Progressive forms of environmentalism also emerge from the encounter between urban history and utopian thinking.

Specified model for the study of perception of risk- benefit and intention to vote in favor of bikeways


 
 
 In the framework of policies against the effects of climate change on public health, mobility policies based on zero carbon dioxide emissions have focused their interest on the implementation of bicycle lanes, the bicycle motor subsidy and restriction of automobiles. In this sense, the objective of this paper has been to establish the reliability and validity of an instrument that measures the perceptions of risk and utility, as well as the intentions of voting in favor of electoral proposals and candidates that support the urban sustainability policy in Subject d mobility. A non-experimental, cross-sectional and exploratory study was carried out with a non-probabilistic sample selection of 250 residents of the metropolitan area of Mexico City. From a structural model ?X 2 = 124.35 (22gl) p = 0.006; GFI = 0.990; CFI = 0.995; RMSEA = 0.009? The factors cited were found to correlate positively and significantly, but it is recommended to extend the study to the contrast of the model in other scenarios with local elections and mobility policy based on the use of the bicycle.
 
 

Uncovering the behaviour of road accidents in urban areas.

Different patterns in the incidence of road accidents are revealed when considering areas with increased levels of urbanization. To understand these patterns, road accident data from England and Wales is explored. In particular, the data are used to (i) generate time series for comparison of the incidence of road accidents in urban as opposed to rural areas, (ii) analyse the relationship between the number of road accidents and the population size of a set of urban areas, and (iii) model the likelihood of suffering an accident in an urban area and its dependence with population size. It is observed that minor and serious accidents are more frequent in urban areas, whereas fatal accidents are more likely in rural areas. It is also shown that, generally, the number of accidents in an urban area depends on population size superlinearly, with this superlinear behaviour becoming stronger for lower degrees of severity. Finally, given an accident in an urban area, the probability that the accident is fatal or serious decreases with population size and the probability that it is minor, increases sublinearly. These findings promote the question as to why such behaviours exist, the answer to which will lead to more sustainable urban policies.

Car sharing and transformations in households travel patterns: Insights from emerging proto-practices in Norway

Over the last decades car sharing has been recognized as a socio-technical innovation that can help to reduce or replace the use of fossil-fueled private cars in urban regions. To understand how car sharing may be used in the future, and its potential role as a driver of a more sustainable mobility system, studies of early user practices represent an important source of knowledge. Based on a combination of inductive statistical techniques and qualitative investigations of car-sharing households in Oslo, this study explores emerging practices of car sharing. A survey of 1,136 active car sharers is combined with 36 in-depth interviews with households using three different car-sharing schemes. The results suggest that car sharing is developing as three different proto-practices, labeled as active green, local flexible and long-distance holiday. These three practice forms relate to variations in car-sharing schemes, type of travel, and length/frequency of trips, as well as to affiliated motives and meanings. The study contributes a deeper understanding of how current car-sharing practices are emerging in households and the potential implications for sustainable urban mobility and policy developments.

Transferring sustainable urban mobility policies: An institutional perspective

This study develops an institutional framework for the transfer of the sustainable urban mobility policies from developed to developing institutional settings. Drawing on new institutional economics approach, the study investigates the institutional structure of the urban mobility field with a view to propose a policy transfer framework. The framework is then used in transferring sustainable urban mobility policies from London to Istanbul. On its way to establish a more sustainable urban mobility system, the city of Istanbul, which is the economic capital of Turkey, grapples with many urban mobility problems such as rapid motorization, chronic traffic congestion, air and noise pollution and a fragmented governance structure. London's recent Mayor's Transport Strategy published in March, 2018 which sets out a comprehensive set of policies aiming towards a more sustainable urban mobility is used as a benchmark document for transferring policies to Istanbul. The policy transfer study, commissioned by the local transport authority of Istanbul, is undertaken by a team of experts, consultants and academics which include the author of this study as well. The transfer process is carried out by translating policies into the institutional structure of the policy borrowing city, namely Istanbul. The fragmentation in the policy and governance levels in Istanbul, acting as a major barrier for direct transfer, is addressed by the proposed institutional policy transfer framework. Overall, the study aims to open up new avenues for an institutionally-informed transport policy research. More specifically, the study provides novel conceptual tools for the analysis of the policy transfer studies involving disparate institutional settings.

Historical School Buildings. A Multi-Criteria Approach for Urban Sustainable Projects

It is recognized, in Europe and elsewhere, that there is a need to implement sustainable urban intervention policies based also on the recovery of existing public real estate assets. In Italy, the schools are a significant part of public property. At this time (2019), many buildings destined for teaching need to be redeveloped, both from a structural and plant engineering point of view, and with regard to the management of the spaces available for teaching and social activities. Although, there have been many attempts by the legislator to regulate the modus operandi in the school construction field, it is clear that there is a lack of a unique regulatory system in which the technical and functional-managerial aspects relating to the same school are considered together. On this basis, with this study a multi-criteria evaluation protocol to support intervention planning for the redevelopment of existing school buildings is proposed. The study defines an evaluation framework with which we can establish the design priorities to be carried out in accordance with the building features and community needs. The evaluation framework is tested on a renewal project regarding a school building located in the historic center of Rome (Italy).

Modelo estructural del factor exploratorio de la percepción de movilidad en ciclovías

<p>In the framework of policies against the effects of climate change on public health, mobility policies based on zero carbon dioxide emissions have focused their interest on the implementation of bicycle lanes, the bicycle motor subsidy and restriction of automobiles. In this sense, the objective of this paper has been to establish the reliability and validity of an instrument that measures the perceptions of risk and utility, as well as the intentions of voting in favor of electoral proposals and candidates that support the urban sustainability policy in Subject d mobility. A non-experimental, cross-sectional and exploratory study was carried out with a non-probabilistic sample selection of 250 residents of the metropolitan area of Mexico City. From a structural model. The factors cited were found to correlate positively and significantly, but it is recommended to extend the study to the contrast of the model in other scenarios with local elections and mobility policy based on the use of the bicycle.</p>

Measuring social effective speed to improve sustainable mobility policies in developing countries

Over the last few decades, many developing countries have experienced car fleet growth, which has contributed to congestion, increased travel times, and deteriorated public transport reliability and punctuality. However, alternatives to urban mobility can be found by creating policies to stimulate sustainable transportation modes with equal opportunities for all citizens. In this paper, measures of social effective speeds are presented to improve sustainable urban mobility policies in developing countries. Data from the 2018 Origin-Destination Survey of the Metropolitan Region of Recife (Brazil) were used to estimate social effective speeds. The results showed that motorized modes had lower effective speed than non-motorized modes. In addition, total external costs were $2 billion USD per year. The social effective speed will be valuable if inserted in sustainable urban mobility policies in developing countries.

Urban sustainability policies in neoliberal Canada: Room for social equity?

A growing concern worldwide is whether or not urban sustainability policies promote social equity. In Western countries, sustainability policies are at the forefront of an emerging regime of urban governance. While some researchers have shown how such policies support, counter or ride along with predominant neoliberal trends, others suggest that they may form a beacon for progressive politics. However, these studies do not investigate whether the political economy of urban sustainability policies promotes equity on a national scale. The present article addresses this gap by investigating ‘sustainable city’ discourses in 11 Canadian municipalities. Contrary to recurring hopes, these policies do not fully embrace a return to social equity. Instead, they overwhelmingly privilege a form of ‘environmental neoliberalism’ by focusing on a creative, educated and professionalized urban community. The article examines how these policy discourses conceive social equity around the themes of economic growth, housing, income and democratic participation. Today’s urban compromise leaves little room for social equity.

Stakeholders perceptions to sustainable urban freight policies in emerging markets

Abstract The aim of this paper is to analyze the perceptions of key stakeholders to a set of policies designed to address urban logistics issues in two cities in Colombia. A ranking survey was conducted and analyzed unveiling levels of acceptance to the proposed policies for three types of stakeholders (Carriers, Receivers, and Citizens). Though some methodologies attempt to understand stakeholders’ perspectives towards urban freight policies, often only a certain type of stakeholder is considered; perceptions of Citizens are usually overlooked. The results suggest that stakeholders agree on the importance of having space to conduct freight operations in their urban areas. However, different stakeholders perceive policies differently and local context plays a key role, suggesting that decision-makers must consider these aspects before transferring initiatives from other urban settings. When space for freight operations cannot be provided, the results show that Carriers prefer a Receiver-led Consolidation program, Receivers consider an Urban Consolidation Center as the best alternative, and Citizens prefer Off-hour deliveries. While all of the preferred alternatives call for a more active role played by the other stakeholders, they also call for more sustainable practices and move away from traditional, restrictive policies. The results from this study serve as a tool for planners and decision-makers seeking input on the preferences of various stakeholders to, and the potential acceptability of, urban freight policies.

Urban resilience and sustainable development policies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the urban resilience capacity and its relations with the economic, social and environmental well-being in smart cities in the state of São Paulo (SP), particularly after the 2008 financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach Concerning its objectives, this study is characterized as descriptive. From the point of view of technical procedures, the research is bibliographic, and regarding data collection, it is documental. The approach of this research is quantitative, since it uses the statistical method. The sample was made up by 62 smart cities located in SP. The analysis comprised the period from 2010 to 2015. Findings The urban resilience pillars influence the economic well-being represented by the gross national product, in 58.8 percent, social well-being represented by the life expectancy of the residents of the smart cities, in 71.7 percent, and in environmental well-being indicated by CO2 emissions, in 21.5 percent. Research limitations/implications They are related to the researchers’ decision about the methodological design. Practical implications This study was limited to smart cities in SP listed in the RBCIH (Brazilian Network of Human Smart Cities), and may be extended to other cities in other Brazilian states. Social implications How resilience dimensions related to economic, social and environmental well-being such as poverty, food security, health, well-being, education quality, climate changes, and the like, were measured, which can be investigated in future research studies. Originality/value Despite its growing popularity worldwide, the urban resilience pillars and their relationship with human well-being in smart cities in the national context are little investigated, making this research original.