The role of cities in sustainability transformation: Perspectives of planetary urbanisation and urban metabolism

Abstract

Cities are increasingly profiling themselves as active agents within sustainabili-ty transformation. Despite many apparent efforts, discussion on “sustainable cities” has often focused on narrowly defined problems and ignored the intercon-nectedness of ecological, social, and economic issues that extend beyond the boundaries of formal city regions. Hence, this paper highlights the need for approaches that take into account the multifaceted nature of urban sustainability. We use planetary urbanism and urban metabolism as conceptual lenses to demonstrate the embeddedness of cities in planetary ecological systems and social structures. We present two examples of urban initiatives, one from strategic level and one from practical urban planning, both high-lighting the relevance of planetary urbanisation and urban metabolism. Our examination calls for rethinking prevailing ideas of cities as forerunners of sustainable development and highlights the importance of collaboration in curbing potentially harmful socio-spatial divisions.