Governing Urban Sustainability
Transitions

Derk Loorbach
Tokyo University, 02-03-2012

Persistent unsustainability

The big picture

Röckstrom et al, 2009

Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Persistent urban sustainability problems• Cities are complex, path-dependent, selforganising entities– Very difficult to give long-term direction• Many autonomous external pressures– Ageing, urbanisation, energy/resources, economic
crises, …

• Cities increasingly vulnerable and less resilient– Existing strutcures, behavior, interests hard to change Unsustainability lock-in requires transitions

Source: Stockholm Resilience Center and DRIFT, 2010

Resilient cities
Ecologicalresilience

Social selforganisation

Governanceand smartgrid
networks

Spatialsustainability

Local economy

Urban resilience: a transition challenge• Social: resilient, self-sustaining communities and social
services, social cohesion and equity,• Ecology: urban biosphere, closed resource cycles,
natural watersystems, multiple space-use, renwableenergies• Economy: ecosystem services, local economy,
internalisation of externalities• Governance: organized self-organisation

Transition arenas
society

Regular policy arena- Short term
- Peloton- Incremental change- Problem- and goal oriented

Transition arena- Long term
- Frontrunners- System-innovation- Problem- and goal searching

MUSIC project
www.themusicproject.eu

Aberdeen(United Kingdom)

Ghent

Rotterdam(The Netherlands)(Belgium)Montreuil(France)

Ludwigsburg(Germany)9Transition approach
Process

Content

Transition teamTransition analysis

Experts/civil servants

Framing the transition

Transition arena
Frontrunners

Transition network

Envisioning
Inspiring challenge

Agenda building

Organisations

Multiple pathways

Coalitions

Experiments

Entrepreneurs/changeagents

Upscaling innovations

Iteration between vision/arena and experiments
Long-term
and genericStep 1
Step 2
Cityselectionanalysis

City transition analysis

TRANSITION AGENDA

Step 3
ProblemanalysisCity transition vision

Step 4envisioning
Step 5
network/coalitions

City transition network

Step 6
strategies

Energy neutral
schoolShort-termand specific

Urban energy
mapGreen roof
programStart projectmultipletransition
experiments

Step 6
Step 6 Step 6 actions
actions actions
Step 6 Step 6
Step 6
actions actions dissemination

Block by blockTimeDutch Research Institute For Transitions

Rotterdam: energy based spatial planningWorldwide energy and climate initiatives
CO2 reduction
From a list of solutions to an integrated spatial strategy
Sustainable
CitySust.
Mobility

Energizing
City

Innovation
LabEnergyPortcity -50%

mobility -50%

behaviourstrenghten innovative
economyharbour -50%

•deals withcorporations•public transport,
cycling•innovationfund•Carbon captivity
storage•Public lighting•Renewableenergy•All publicvehicles co2
free•Compulsory useof district heating•Parkingfees•Fiscal incentives • vehicles andships•Local laws
•Environmental
zoning freight:
city and harbour•All publicbuildings co2
free•Campagne•Incentives•3% per year•banks•Knowledgecluste
r of new•Deals with companies
techniques
to filter•Researchconnections withuniversities toimplement•Happyshrimpfarm•Biofuel•CO2 to greenhouses•Quai electricity

CityPorts
5 strategies
1. Re-inventing delta technology

2. Volume & Value
3. Crossing borders

4. Floating gentrification
5. Sustainable mobility
Long term: perspective 2040
Mid term: course 2025
Short term: action 2015

One of the images: Floating City
(Design: www.deltasync.nl)

…the transition experimentDutch Research Institute For Transitions

Societal resilience and transition• Context: withdrawing government, budget cuts
– Social: developing local community based services; energy,food, mobility, education, health-care– Technical: developing smart ’gridworks’; data-based
infrastructures and appliances• Communityarena: frontrunners develop shared visionand strategy– citizens, science, policy, business, organisations• Focus on empowerment and competence-building– In families, school, public space and networks

Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

Core transitional challenge• Community empowerment– Developing self-organisational capacity– Paradigm shift towards self-awareness– Articulating community needs• Policy transition– Participation in societal process– Toward integrative cooperation– Developing process governance capacity‘Welcoming Square’Urban transitions and theirgovernance• Cities as systems and niches– Framework and discourse for coproduction• Urban sustainability challenges– (re)defining collective challenges• Guiding and accelerating urban transitions– Envisioning, experimenting and empowerment

 Urban Transition Labs and community arenas

Thank you for your attention
For more information and publications:loorbach@drift.eur.nl
www.drift.eur.nl
www.transitionsnetwork.org
www.twitter.com/drk75