Urban Transition Research Articles

Driving toward sustainable cities: The interplay between Chinese emerging corporate ESG performance and climate finance in achieving low-carbon development

Climate finance plays a pivotal role in directing increased capital flow toward climate change mitigation and adaptation activities. Many emerging enterprises have grown rapidly under the influence of climate finance policies, contributing to urban low-carbon transition. Therefore, it is important to explore the interrelationships between climate finance, enterprise low-carbon transformations, and urban carbon emission efficiency. This study delves into the impact of climate finance on urban carbon emission efficiency and its underlying transmission mechanisms, drawing upon comprehensive panel data of 262 Chinese cities and 4125 enterprises from 2009 to 2019. The findings indicate that urban climate finance have significantly positive influences on urban carbon emission efficiency and unveil that enterprise environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance exhibits positive influences on urban carbon emission efficiency, underscoring the critical role of enterprises as the vanguard of climate finance. Moreover, the research presents the mediating effect of enterprise green innovation between the urban climate finance and carbon emission efficiency. The mediating effect manifests distinct threshold effects among different levels of enterprise green innovation. Our results suggest that China should enact tailored climate finance policies for higher urban emission efficiency, including judicious allocation of climate funds and effective guidance on enterprise-driven green technological innovation.

The Ontology of Urban Governance: A Framework for Pathways to Sustainable Urban Transition

Evidence on urban governance has expanded but is fragmented and inadequate. It fails to articulate the complexity of urban governance in a way that would facilitate effective urban transitions. Using a conceptual-cognitive lens, this article describes a method to move away from governance solutions based on functional silos to those based on multidimensional, sustainable systems. Based on a combination of concepts from public policy, governance, public administration, and urban service management, it frames the problem of urban governance as a comprehensive conceptual-cognitive map of the domain. The study validates the framework through expert feedback and the mapping of the literature on urban governance in India between 2018 and 2020. The monad map and theme map emphasise the ontology’s applicability as a methodological tool for evidence generation. The analysis reveals a need to reconfigure urban governance pathways to work towards a sustainable future. The article concludes by offering new conceptual constructs of governance pathways to enhance the policies and practices that shape such transitions.

Urban energy transition and quality of life: A comprehensive statistical study on the nexus of wind clean energy adoption, job creation, and livability

This study investigates the intricate relationship between wind farm clean energy adoption and urban quality of life through three key contributions. Firstly, an Integrated Hybrid Deep Q-Networks (DQN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model is introduced for wind farm power prediction. This novel approach synergistically leverages DQN’s decision-making capabilities and LSTM’s sequential learning to enhance accuracy by capturing temporal dependencies in wind conditions. Secondly, a Comprehensive Statistical Study on the Urban Energy Transition Nexus goes beyond traditional analyses, exploring the links between clean energy adoption, job creation, and urban livability. Advanced statistical methods quantify wind farm impacts on job creation and overall quality of life, providing a nuanced understanding of the urban energy transition. Thirdly, the Harmony Search (HS) algorithm, with modified parameters, optimizes the hybrid DQN-LSTM model. This nature-inspired algorithm addresses hyperparameter tuning challenges, contributing a unique dimension to model optimization for better convergence and exploration of the solution space. Finally, the study delves into job creation and livability in the context of urban energy transition, examining how the adoption of wind farm clean energy contributes to employment opportunities and enhances overall urban quality of life. Together, these contributions offer a comprehensive framework for integrating wind farm clean energy into urban environments, providing innovative solutions for accurate power predictions and facilitating sustainable urban energy transitions.

Assessing local economic impact of urban energy transition through optimized resource allocation in renewable energy

This paper introduces an innovative approach to optimizing the allocation of local workforce and resources in the renewable energy sector through the application of the Modified Bat Algorithm (MBA). By leveraging MBA, the study achieves enhanced precision in decision-making, maximizing the positive impact of urban energy transition on local employment while respecting various constraints. To address the inherent uncertainties associated with the energy transition process, the paper employs a stochastic framework grounded in the Unscented Transform (UT). By incorporating UT, the study captures and analyzes the probabilistic nature of factors such as economic growth, energy production, and environmental impact. This framework provides a robust foundation for decision-making under uncertainty, ensuring the reliability of the proposed assessment model. Recognizing the critical importance of data integrity and security in the assessment of local economic and employment effects, this paper integrates blockchain technology to enhance the trustworthiness of the data transaction process. The use of blockchain ensures transparency, immutability, and security of data, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the results and fostering trust in the assessment outcomes.

Reconceiving China's urban economic transition through symbiotic state-firm dynamics: An integrated perspective from urban governance and global production networks

China's urban economic transition since the 2000s has garnered considerable scholarly interest. Two distinct bodies of scholarship, namely urban governance and global production networks, have investigated this phenomenon, each offering unique insights either from an endogenous state-centric or exogenous firm-centric approach. The former has justifiably accentuated the centrality of the state in shaping Chinas urban-regional economic reconfiguration but lacks exploration of the multifaceted ways in which state apparatus engages with a spectrum of quotidian firm-level activities and the negotiation power these firms wield. The latter embraces an exogenous firm-centric perspective on the economic transition in East Asia latecomer regions, stressing forces of globalisation, foreign investment, and intra/inter/extra-firm networks, but tends to bracket the state into the institutional background and, therefore, downplays its agentic role. By initiating a dialogue between these two theoretical frameworks, this paper formulates a dialectical state-firm relational approach, offering a revitalised, integrative comprehension of China's urban economic transformation. Employing Dongguan - a globally recognised hub for ICT manufacturing - as an empirical focal point, it elucidates how the relational state-firm dynamics evolve temporally, differ spatially across territories and scales, and display distinct contrasts between high-value-added and labour-intensive sectors within the ICT industry.

Capacity building within urban climate resilience in the Global South – a literature review

Capacity building for urban climate resilience is essential for strengthening both cities’ own capacities and multilevel governance, which are instrumental for the successful operationalisation of the Paris Agreement. Strengthening the capacities for planning, managing, and developing cities is required to support an urban resilient transition in a context of high complexity and uncertainty, especially in the Global South. The main objective for this article is to investigate the differences in understanding of capacity building in urban climate resilience in the Global South through literature review. Specifically, this paper investigates the main approaches, aspects, components, and end users for capacity building in the frame of urban climate resilience. The article identifies a set of Capacity Building Parameters and Enabling Factors which are Purpose, Transformative Capacity, Multi-actor, Participation, Knowledge and Learning, Transdiciplinarity as well as Data and Finance. The Capacity Building Parameters and Enabling Factors can serve as a basis to develop an analytical framework to assess existing capacity building initiatives and to support the development of new capacities for planning, management and developing cities for an urban resilient transition.

Making urban memory visible: the on-screen transformation of Beijing’s hutong districts during modernization (1940s–2010s)

Abstract As a vernacular dwelling form, the historical hutong districts in Beijing have represented local people’s traditional ways of living and thinking. However, in recent decades, such urban memories have dissipated as the old cityscape has gradually been overwritten by modernist, international-style designs. To ensure that locality and identity are not forgotten, this article examines the potential role of fiction films as a form of digital ‘lieux de mémoire’ (sites of memory), which not only archives but also evokes nostalgia for memories lost in urban transition. This interdisciplinary study rereads the extensive modernist transformation of Beijing’s historical hutong area through the lens of film (1940s–2010s), and thus brings a humanized, historical insight into this vernacular cityscape by focusing on reviving and strengthening the fading urban qualities.

In-Formality?: Two Cases of Temporary Uses in Urban Regeneration of South Korea

This paper aims to explore how we can utilize temporary and tactical urbanism in urban regeneration, focusing on its ability to redistribute power relations and foster inclusive processes. The research analysis compares two urban regeneration projects that were implemented under the concept of temporary urbanism in South Korea. The first case involves the transformation of a declining shipbuilding yard area into a cultural and small retail sector, while the second case is a regeneration project of an abandoned municipal cultural center. To identify detailed differences and similarities, this research tracked the project processes and changes in relationships through in-depth interviews and the analysis of related documents. The significance of these cases lies in illustrating two distinct paths of urban transition, from informal to formal and legitimate territory. This research suggests temporary urbanism as a means of introducing new ideas and functions into urban space, especially within the context of formal and informal relations.

Empowering urban energy transition through data-driven decision-making: A statistical examination of technological innovations in transportation and mobility

Urban energy consumption is a critical aspect of sustainable urban development, with technological innovations playing a pivotal role in shaping energy usage patterns. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of urban energy consumption dynamics in relation to the adoption of technology across various sectors, including transportation, residential, industrial, and commercial domains. Through extensive data collection and advanced statistical analyses, we investigate the correlation between technology adoption rates and energy consumption behaviors in urban areas. Our findings reveal a strong positive correlation between technology adoption rates and reduced energy consumption across sectors. We employ spatial analyses to identify localized successes, shedding light on regions where technology-driven initiatives have significantly lowered energy demands. These insights offer valuable guidance for urban planners and policymakers aiming to implement targeted interventions and replicate effective strategies. Furthermore, the paper emphasizes the transformative potential of innovative solutions, ranging from smart infrastructure to industrial automation, in promoting energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. By fostering the integration of such technologies, cities can mitigate their carbon footprint, enhance energy resilience, and create more livable environments for residents. This research contributes to the discourse on urban energy transitions and provides actionable insights for urban policymakers and stakeholders striving for a greener, more sustainable urban future.

Examining energy democracy and energy citizenship in advancing participatory energy transitions: A comprehensive review

The worldwide issues of climate change and energy access have pushed the transition to sustainable and equitable systems of energy to the forefront of global awareness. Energy democracy is a term used by the movement for environmental justice that unites the shift to renewable energy sources with initiatives to democratize energy resource production and control. Citizenship in the energy sector entails the ability to engage in systems of energy as well as positively influence the energy transition. The energy transition is related to the worldwide transformation of the energy sector from dependence on fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas, and coal, to the use of renewable energy sources including solar as well as wind power, and the adoption of lithium-ion batteries. To give a comprehensive grasp of the concept of energy citizenship and democracy, this review investigates a wide range of studies, policy assessments, and theoretical frameworks. Data accessibility, cultural differences in involvement, and the difficulty of balancing the interests of many stakeholders in accomplishing and sustainable energy transitions might be its main obstacles. Here, we utilized safe, sustainable, affordable energy systems in energy democracy and various modes of Participatory Energy Transitions (PEDs) in energy citizenship. Then, using PEDs as a tool in urban energy transition. Energy democracy in social groups, India's energy citizenship, and energy transition in India are the obtained results. The review highlights the significance of education, awareness, and inclusiveness in advancing energy democracy and citizenship. As a conclusion, this study makes a significant contribution to the expanding canon on energy transition by analyzing and synthesizing the core ideas behind energy citizenship and energy democracy.

Navigating legal pathways for accelerating urban energy transition: A comprehensive deep analysis of photovoltaic power prediction and policy instruments

This research proposes a navigation method that explores how to accelerate urban energy transformation through legal means from the perspective of energy law, in order to improve the accuracy of photovoltaic output power prediction in sustainable energy transformation. Firstly, a deep learning model based on adversarial autoencoder (AAE) architecture was introduced to predict photovoltaic output power according to clean environment policies. Secondly, in order to effectively fine tune the parameters of AAE, a heuristic optimization method based on the Imperial Competition Algorithm was proposed to optimize the AAE configuration to adapt to the unique characteristics of photovoltaic systems, thereby improving prediction accuracy. In addition, the study analyzed the challenges and opportunities faced by current urban energy transformation, and then proposed sustainable ways to accelerate urban energy transformation from the aspects of formulating transformation plans, promoting technological innovation, promoting green transportation, promoting building energy conservation, and developing circular economy. The synergistic effect of deep learning and heuristic optimization, combined with strict stability and sensitivity assessment, puts this research at the forefront of advancing photovoltaic output power prediction methods, which is of great significance for optimizing renewable energy utilization and grid integration.

Evaluating the synergistic effects of digital economy and government governance on urban low-carbon transition

Under the vision of the “dual carbon” targets, the digital economy and government governance have emerged as pivotal means for urban low-carbon transition. This study, based on theoretical analysis, utilizes panel data from 253 Chinese cities spanning 2011 to 2019 to investigate the relationship between the digital economy, government governance, and urban low-carbon transition. The findings demonstrate that: (1) The digital economy not only directly contributes to low-carbon transition but also exerts an indirect influence through enhancing labor productivity, accelerating green technological innovation, and upgrading industrial structures; (2) Significantly, government governance can synergize with the digital economy to propel urban low-carbon transition, this synergistic effect can be achieved through mechanisms related to green technological innovation and industrial upgrading; (3) Overall, the moderating effect of governance effectiveness is more significant than governance capability; (4) Analysis of heterogeneity reveals that first-tier cities, core cities, and cities in the central and western regions exhibit more efficient low-carbon transitions. These findings offer valuable theoretical insights and practical guidance for advancing urban low-carbon development and shaping relevant policy decisions.

A Composite Index for Tracking the Evolution towards Energy Transition at Urban Scale: The Turin Case Study

Cities play a pivotal role in achieving worldwide carbon neutrality due to their significant contribution to global energy consumption and carbon emissions. Therefore, planning effective strategies and guiding evidence-based policymaking at the city scale becomes even more crucial. Composite indices serve as a valuable tool for monitoring urban energy transition trends. This paper aims to present a novel approach, robust and flexible even under conditions of data scarcity, for tracking the energy transition trend of a city by means of a composite index (UETI). The Turin case study is introduced to test the applicability of the proposed approach. Additionally, to demonstrate the robustness of the composite index framework, the paper includes the findings of correlation and sensitivity analyses. This study reveals a significant improvement in Turin’s environmental and energy domains, while the socio-economic domain shows more modest improvement. Furthermore, the study highlights the need to address the shortage of urban data to enhance the accuracy and reliability of metric-based frameworks and to extend the assessment to a larger sample of cities.

Urban demand for cooking fuels in two major African cities and implications for policy

Nearly 2.3 billion people lack access to clean cooking fuels and technologies worldwide, representing a critical failure to achieve SDG7’s cooking energy access goal. In Sub-Saharan Africa, dependence on polluting cooking fuels is particularly high, resulting in considerable environmental, health, and time-related costs. Progress in the region has been greatest in urban areas, partly because incomes are higher and alternative fuels more widely available than in rural areas, but understanding of the dynamics of urban cooking energy transitions remains limited, and reasons for the divergent paths of different cities are unclear. Our primary objective is, therefore, to understand differences in the demand for several fuels among low-income households in two contrasting cities–Nairobi, where the transition is well advanced (N = 354), and Dar es Salaam, where progress has been slower (N = 1,100). We conducted a double-bounded, dichotomous choice contingent valuation experiment to elucidate how urban households would respond to changes in cooking fuels’ prices. Our analysis shows that fuel price responses vary across the income distribution and across these cities. Willingness to pay for the most commonly used cooking fuel in Nairobi–liquefied petroleum gas–is nearly twice that in Dar es Salaam, where more households prefer charcoal. In Dar es Salaam, low-income charcoal users appear especially entrenched in their cooking fuel choice. Our results have important implications for the effectiveness of different policy tools (e.g., bans, taxes, or clean fuel subsidies), since responses to pricing policies will depend on these varying price sensitivities, as well as targeting and the readiness of the supply chain (including policy enablers of supply) to meet increased demand. In conclusion, though policies are commonly designed at the national-level, policy-makers need to understand nuances in the local demand context very well when choosing instruments that best support energy transition among their most vulnerable citizens.

Silent witnesses: the disputed landscapes of Belgium’s black country

ABSTRACT Through historical and anthropological inquiry, this paper addresses the issue of memory antagonisms involving cultural landscapes in the context of a former mining region: the Belgian Black Country. This region, which became increasingly industrialized in the 19th century through the massive development of coal mining and steel industry, subsequently experienced deindustrialization, and now finds itself mobilized in a process of ‘post-industrial’ mutation. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, it examines how the landscapes inherited from industry, and in particular the slag heaps of the coalfield, have over time become repositories of a working-class memory, through the living and working practices of the communities surrounding the mines. It also documents the various representations attached to these landscape objects, whose contradictions echo the oppositions between capital and labor that have marked the development of industrial capitalism. The second part of the paper, which focuses on the present situation, examines how these representations are remobilized in the valorization processes that are initiated by different actors, in the context of a ‘post-industrial’ urban transition strategy that seeks to produce a unified and pacified historical narrative. We’ll be looking at how historical conflicts still permeate the representations of these landscapes, the question of their conservation, and their possible future.

Electoral Politics and Struggles for Accountability

This review essay focuses on electoral politics and the African accountability struggle, which has gained interest and scholarly attention following the third wave of democratization. Before the Namibia Constituent Assembly elections in November 1989, many would agree that elections were neither acknowledged nor considered appropriate for selecting governmental and national leaders. However, the democratic wave in the early 1990s marked a substantial political shift in Africa. Elections, once rare, are now frequent, serving as a crucial tool for both development and accountability. In this new era, citizens have a rare opportunity to hold their leaders accountable and exert control over their behavior. This review specifically addresses two volumes: Electoral Politics and Africa’s Urban Transition: Class and Ethnicity in Ghana by Noah L. Nathan and Elites and the Politics of Accountability in Africa, edited by Wale Adebanwi and Rogers Orock. Specifically, these volumes delve into topics concerning electoral politics and Africa’s challenges in achieving accountability.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Prediction of Land Use and Carbon Stock in Shanghai

Soil organic carbon (SOC) constitutes a critical component of carbon reservoirs within terrestrial ecosystems. The ramifications of urban land use transitions on SOC dynamics, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions such as Shanghai, remain insufficiently elucidated. This investigation synergizes a predictive land use change model (Logistic-CA-Markov) with an ecosystem service quantification framework (InVEST), aiming to delineate the interplay between SOC variability and Land Use and Land Cover Change (LUCC) under natural development and ecological protection scenarios. Empirical observations from 2010 to 2020 reveal a contraction in Shanghai’s agricultural land of 34,912.76 hectares, juxtaposed with an expansion of urban built-up areas of 36,048.24 hectares. Projections for 2030 under an ecological protection scenario indicate a moderated urban sprawl, reducing built-up area expansion by 13,518 hectares relative to the natural development scenario. Notably, the net carbon sequestration capacity of Shanghai is anticipated to diminish by approximately 0.418 million tons between 2020 and 2030. This trend is observed under both considered scenarios, forecasting a cumulative reduction in SOC stocks exceeding 1 million tons by 2030. The natural development pathway portends a more pronounced and accelerated depletion of SOC reserves. Although ecological conservation measures show the potential to decelerate this loss, they appear insufficient to reverse the ongoing decline in SOC stocks. This study advocates for strategic urban planning interventions focused on constraining the growth of building densities and augmenting the preservation and management of eco-lands. Such measures are imperative for bolstering Shanghai’s carbon sequestration capacity.

Electric Vehicle Charging from Tramway Infrastructure: A New Concept and the Turin Case Study

The electrification of transport is expected to progressively replace significant shares of light duty mobility, especially in large cities. The European Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) aims to drive the adoption of electric mobility by establishing specific targets for charging point deployment. Innovative charging concepts may complement and accelerate the uptake of this fundamental part of the urban mobility transition. In this paper, one such innovative concept is described and its potential impact is assessed. The core idea involves integrating charging points into existing city tramway infrastructures. Turin’s tramway network is taken as a representative case study. The proposed technical solution encompasses a charging hub powered by four isolated DC/DC converters of 50 kW, directly connected to the DC tramway distribution line. Three of these constitute the heart of a 150 kW charger, while the fourth acts as voltage regulator. This native DC installation greatly simplifies the architecture of the DC chargers. Using a conservative approach, it was estimated that a single recharging station could charge more than 60 vehicles daily. This highly scalable and replicable solution, with the potential for over 100 conversion substations across Italy, would enable the installation of numerous high-power chargers in urban settings. Furthermore, additional benefits could be realized through enhanced recovery of kinetic energy from trams, which is currently dissipated on-board.

Political economy of just urban transition

Political economy of just urban transition

The impact of low-carbon city pilot policy on urban energy transition: an analysis of multiple mediating effects based on “government–enterprise–resident”

The impact of low-carbon city pilot policy on urban energy transition: an analysis of multiple mediating effects based on “government–enterprise–resident”