Co-­creating Sustainable Urban Futures

Abstract

This book provides rich knowledge on how to understand and actively contribute to urban sustainability transitions. It combines theoretical frameworks and tools with practical experiences on transition management as a framework that supports urban planning and governance towards sustainability. The book offers the opportunity to become actively engaged in working towards sustainable futures of cities. Readers will be equipped to understand the complexity of urban sustainability transitions and diagnose persistent unsustainability problems in cities. The heart marks the variety of very different local case studies across the world, including Rotterdam in the Netherlands, La Botija in Honduras, Sydney in Australia and Cleveland in the US. Intro; My Experience with Transition Management; Contents; Transition Management in and for Cities: Introducing a New Governance Approach to Address Urban Challenges; Introduction; How Has Transition Management Been Applied?; Outline of the Book; Part I: Introduction of Transition Thinking in Urban Context and Theoretical Grounds of Transition Management in and for Cities; Part II: Applications of Transition Management in Cities; Part III: What Transition Management Could Offer in Different Contexts; Part IV: Reflecting on the Impacts of Transition Management in Cities. What This Book Is About and How to Read ItReferences and Further Readings; Part I: Introduction of Transitions Thinking in Urban Context and Theoretical Grounds of Transition Management in and for Cities; Understanding the Urban Context and Its Challenges; Introduction; Change and Its Challenges; Sustainable Development; Persistent Problems and System Failures; The Urban Context; Defining the Urban; Urban Challenges; Scopes of Urban Sustainability; Governing the Urban; Urban Governance for Sustainability; References; Introducing Sustainability Transitions ́Thinking in Urban Contexts. Introducing Transitions to SustainabilityWhat Are Transitions?; Transitions Studies; Core Principles; Co-evolution; Coordinated Emergence; Evolutionary Revolution; Key Conceptual Frameworks; Multi-level Perspective; Macro Level; Meso Level; Micro Level; Inter-level Interaction; Multi-phase Model; Multi-path; Power and Agency; Approaches to Sustainability Transitions in the Urban Context; Geographical Approach (Cities as Transition Spaces); Complexity Approach (Cities as `Convergence HubsÂ)́; Governance Approach (Cities as Innovation Drivers). Cities as Transitionscapes to Discover Processes and Actions of Agents of ChangeFurther Reading; References; Transition Management: Guiding Principles and Applications; Influencing Transitions: The Transition Management Approach; From Understanding to Acting for Sustainability Transitions in Cities; Transition Management Basics; Governance Principles; Governance Framework; Strategic; Tactical; Operational; Reflexive; Putting Transition Management into Practice; Orienting; Phase 1: Setting the Scene; Phase 2: Exploring Local Dynamics; Phase 3: Framing the Transition Challenge. Phase 4: Envisioning a Sustainable CityAgenda Setting; Phase 5: Reconnecting Long-Term and Short-Term; Phase 6: Engaging and Anchoring; Activating; Phase 7: Getting into Action; Reflecting; Transition Management in and for Cities; References; Urban Planning and Transition Management: Rationalities, Instruments and Dialectics; Urban Planning: A Brief Introduction; Evolving Rationalities of Urban Planning; Rationalism in Urban Planning; Incrementalism in Urban Planning; Participation and Advocacy in Planning; Collaborative Planning; Strategic Planning; Multi-level- and Metropolitan Governance.