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Transition towards Sustainable Urban Settlements

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 20045

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki

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Guest Editor

Graphic Design and Engineering Projects Department, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Interests: energy footprint; energy transitions; input–output analysis; sustainability; well-being; life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Jukka Heinonen

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Guest Editor

Sustainable Built Environment, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
Interests: sustainable built environment; life cycle assessments; carbon footprinting; greenhouse gas mitigation; sustainable urban development; built environment; life cycle economics
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Dr. Sanna Ala-Mantila

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Guest Editor

Sustainable Urban Systems, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS) & Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Interests: sustainable cities; urbanization; climate change mitigation; well-being; socioeconomic segregation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current globalized world has generated massive trade exchanges between nations. This exchange of goods and services tends to be polarized between developed and developing countries, and between rural and urban areas. The consumption-oriented lifestyles in developed countries, especially in the cities or urban areas within, means that these areas are dependent on resources from outside their boundaries, both from rural areas as well as from other countries.

The current globalized consumption system has proven to be unsustainable due to its uneven social impacts, economic crises and environmental impacts, materialized, for instance, in ever-proceeding climate change and consequent biodiversity loss. Therefore, especially in the last decade, several social movements, research groups or policy makers, have underlined the need for a rapid transition towards sustainable models based on socio-ecological resiliency and even self-sufficient systems.

This special issue aims to capture the novel proposals for achieving restructured, resilient and sustainable cities, based on, for example, energy sovereignty, low carbon emission systems and circular economy. We would like to open a discussion in analyzing the following: current existing low impact exemplary cities, pathways to 1.5 degree warming compatible living, theoretical modelling of energy-efficient urban environments, and simulations of sustainable urban environments and their dialog with other areas. Also, contributions to contemporary urban sustainability concepts discussing the relationships and interdepency between different sustainability aspects, especially ecological and social, are welcomed.

Likewise, this special issue opens a discussion about the roles between developed and non-developed countries to better understand energy and other consumption dependency dynamics. In this context, the calculation of footprints (e.g. carbon footprint, energy footprint, water footprint, social footprint, etc) will allow to quantify the hidden consumptions that developed cities and countries are outsourcing to less regulated nations, and the respective environmental and social impacts of this consumption. The main goal is to share the responsibility of the generation of socio-environmental impacts in order to start out on the path to avoiding them.

We propose as a reference the following topics in order to guide the authors and trigger a better-orientated discussion of the scientific works that could partake in this challenge:

Low-energy/low-carbon cities;
Energy transition in low-carbon urban areas;
Low-energy/low-carbon urban ecosystems;
Footprint assessments of all aspects of sustainability;
1.5 degree warming compatible living;
Resilient urban area modelling;
Sustainable cities;
Drivers and barriers for low-energy/low-carbon solutions; and
Socio-ecological sustainability in cities.

Papers presenting research results with sound academic contributions and high societal impact potential are particularly welcomed.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki
Prof. Dr. Jukka Heinonen
Assistant Prof. Dr. Sanna Ala-Mantila
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

greenhouse gas mitigation
sustainable urban development
built environment life cycle economics
sustainability
footprint
energy transition
input-output analysis
well-being
life cycle assessment

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4143 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contribution of Conceptual-Drawing Methods to Raise Awareness on Landscape Connectivity: Socio-Environmental Analysis in the Regional Context of Trentino (Italy)

by Anastasia Nikologianni, Alessandro Betta and Alessandro Gretter

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7975; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14137975 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1545

Abstract

This paper deals with landscape understanding and connectivity from an ecological as well as a human perspective. It is based on a broader research study known as EIT Climate-KIC SATURN (System and sustainable Approach to virTuous interaction of Urban and Rural LaNdscapes) co-funded by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), Climate-KIC and the institutions participating in this project. The aim of the study was to explore how landscape connectivity is perceived, on urban and regional scales, by decision-makers and key stakeholders as well as the impact this can have on building sustainable cities. The paper used a series of drawing and visualization workshops, community engagement methods, and participatory tools to identify the connection communities and decision-makers have with their landscape surroundings as well as the impact landscape connectivity has on our health and wellbeing. Through a series of specifically designed workshops following a landscape visioning approach, the paper explored how drawings and visualizations can support decision-makers to create a vision that addresses landscape connectivity, considering the socio-ecological factors in their area and creating a holistic regional approach between urban and rural landscapes. The study concludes that landscape connectivity is of major importance when creating visions for a sustainable future; however, a better connection between ecological and human elements needs to be established to improve landscape design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition towards Sustainable Urban Settlements)

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10 pages, 794 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Human’s Comfort Mystery—Supporting Energy Transition with Light-Color Dimmable Room Lighting

by Simon Wenninger and Christian Wiethe

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2311; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14042311 - 17 Feb 2022

Viewed by 1396

Abstract

The constant increase of intermittent renewable energies in the electricity grid complicates balancing supply and demand. Thus, research focuses on solutions in demand-side management using energy flexibility to resolve this problem. However, the interface between demand-side management and human behavior is often insufficiently addressed, although further potential could be leveraged here. This paper elaborates on the effect of light color on humans’ temperature and comfort perception in connection to energy flexibility. Researchers have found that people perceive blue light as colder and red light as warmer. To this end, we evaluate the effect of light color in a case study for a German industrial facility assuming sector-coupled electric heating. We simulate the entire heating period from October to April in an hourly granularity, using the well-established real options analysis and binomial trees as a decision support system to heuristically minimize energy expenditures by utilizing deferral options when energy prices are high. Our results show a 12.5% reduction in heating costs for sector-coupled electric heating, which extrapolated leads to CO₂-eq emission savings of over 34,000 tons per year for the entire German industry, thereby supporting the energy transition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition towards Sustainable Urban Settlements)

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44 pages, 3257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Energy Saving Potential in Private, Public and Non-Motorized Transport for Ten Swedish Cities

by Jeffrey R. Kenworthy and Helena Svensson

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 954; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14020954 - 14 Jan 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2649

Abstract

Transport energy conservation research in urban transport systems dates back principally to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) “Arab Oil Embargo” (1973–1974) and the Iranian revolution (1979), when global oil supplies became threatened and costs rose steeply. Two subsequent Gulf Wars (1991 and 2003) highlighted the dangerous geo-political dimensions of Middle-Eastern oil. In latter times, the urgency to reduce global CO₂ output to avoid catastrophic climate change has achieved great prominence. How to reduce passenger transport energy use therefore remains an important goal, which this paper pursues in ten Swedish cities, based on five scenarios: (1) increasing the relatively low public transport (PT) seat occupancy in each Swedish city to average European levels (buses 35%, light rail 48%, metro 60% and suburban rail 35%); (2) doubling existing PT seat occupancy in each Swedish city; (3) increasing existing car occupancy in each Swedish city by 10%; (4) decreasing existing energy use per car vehicle kilometer by 15%; (5) increasing existing modal split for daily trips by non-motorized modes to 50% in each city. A sixth “best-case scenario” is also explored by simultaneously combining scenarios 2 to 5. The data used in the paper come from systematic empirical research on each of the ten Swedish cities. When applied individually, scenario 2 is the most successful for reducing passenger transport energy use, scenarios 1 and 4 are next in magnitude and produce approximately equal energy savings, followed by scenario 5, with scenario 3 being the least successful. The best-case, combined scenario could save 1183 million liters of gasoline equivalent in the ten cities, representing almost a 60% saving over their existing 2015 total private passenger transport energy use and equivalent to the combined 2015 total annual private transport energy use of Stockholm, Malmö and Jönköping. Such findings also have important positive implications for the de-carbonization of cities. The policy implications of these findings and the strategies for increasing public transport, walking and cycling, boosting car occupancy and decreasing vehicular fuel consumption in Swedish cities are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition towards Sustainable Urban Settlements)

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29 pages, 6253 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Mapping the Energy Flows and GHG Emissions of a Medium-Size City: The Case of Valladolid (Spain)

by Gaspar Manzanera-Benito and Iñigo Capellán-Pérez

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13181; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132313181 - 29 Nov 2021

Viewed by 2628

Abstract

Valladolid (Spain) is a medium-size city (~300,000 inhabitants) that established a greenhouse (GHG) emissions reduction target in 2011 of 20% from 2010–2020. However, tracking the evolution of GHG in medium-size cities is challenging due to the general lack of compulsory data collection at this scale and issues with boundaries when attempting alternative estimates. Here, we propose and apply a novel method to estimate the evolution of GHG emissions due to energy consumption for the period of 2010–2019 in Valladolid, combining top-down and bottom-up data following a physical energy flows approach. The energy consumption of the city is estimated by main sectors and types of energies. The results show that, throughout the past decade, both total energy consumption and its sector end-use share did not significantly change: final energy consumption remained at around 24 MWh (86.5 GJ) per capita and was still highly dependent on fossil fuels, especially natural gas and oil products (over 70% of total energy supply). The GHG reduction by 2019 was ~11% with relation to 2010 and, thus, had not reached the set objective; in per capita terms, the GHG reduction was lower (~6%) due to population loss during the period. The trend, however, has not been monotone and has instead followed a U-shape strongly correlated with the economic crisis and subsequent recovery, suggesting that transition policies have had, at most, a modest effect on the overall results. The analysis shows, first of all, the limitations of statistical sources at a local level, both for energy and mobility, which do not allow more accurate results in identifying the main energy consumers to be reached; and, secondly, the need for strong decarbonization measures which have to be set urgently at all the relevant institutional levels. Reaching GHG neutrality in the city by 2050 requires reducing the GHG emissions by ~13%/year, which is ~20 times faster than for the 2010–2019 average of 0.6%/year. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition towards Sustainable Urban Settlements)

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19 pages, 2563 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revealing the Contribution of Informal Settlements to Climate Change Mitigation in Latin America: A Case Study of Isidro Fabela, Mexico City

by Ariadna Reyes

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 12108; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132112108 - 02 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2715

Abstract

Given the implications of energy use in housing units for global warming, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to examine greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Although informal settlements, currently known as colonias populares, or barrios, house most of the urban population in Latin America, there is a poor understanding of how people in these communities use energy and contribute to GHG emissions. This investigation provides a comprehensive analysis of resource consumption in Mexico City’s colonia popular, including self-help housing, household energy consumption, and transportation. As there is no spatially specific data on energy use, the author conducted field research in the informal community of Isidro Fabela, founded in the 1960s. Isidro Fabela is an illuminating community that helps understand the energy use of informal settlements at advanced stages of urban consolidation. A mixed-method research approach served to collect empirical data through observations, household surveys, and in-depth interviews. Research sheds light on the efficient and sustainable ways in which families use energy, materials, and resources during self-help construction, and through their daily lives, in their community. The community-based LCA assessment finds that the contribution of Isidro Fabela to GHG emissions is 50% of the average impact in Mexico City. Natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumption for water heating is the most significant contributor to GHG emissions because families use inefficient heaters. Interestingly, by using public transportation and even walking, residents moderate the contribution of work commutes to GHG emissions. Therefore, climate change policy should enhance low-energy practices in informal settlements, by improving access to energy-efficient technologies and public transportation, to help families contribute further to GHG mitigation in Mexico City and elsewhere in Latin America. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition towards Sustainable Urban Settlements)

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29 pages, 3600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Energy Transitions in Europe, towards Low-Socio-Environmental Impact Cities

by Olatz Azurza-Zubizarreta, Izaro Basurko-PerezdeArenaza, Eñaut Zelarain, Estitxu Villamor, Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki, Unai Villena-Camarero, Alvaro Campos-Celador and Iñaki Barcena-Hinojal

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11641; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132111641 - 21 Oct 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2352

Abstract

Achieving the ambitious targets set by Europe in its 2050 roadmap, moving away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources, while reducing carbon emissions, will require a radical change in Europe’s energy system. Much of the action that will enable this energy transition to be realised in a democratic way is at the local level. It is at this level that many of the decisions regarding the energy transition desired by European citizens will have to be taken. The methodology used in this study is based on data collection, literature review, data validation and analysis. A part of this analysis will also be taken by the mPower project as a diagnostic baseline. The first finding of this research work is that energy transition data availability at the local level is quite low. Second, the local authorities are experiencing difficulties in decarbonising their energy consumption. Finally, the factor with highest positive relationships with other energy transition variables is the number of people employed in the field of energy transition. The results suggest that in order to lead a participatory energy transition, the workforce specifically dedicated to energy transition is a key factor, clearly differentiating it from staff working on the general energy field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition towards Sustainable Urban Settlements)

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31 pages, 31207 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Residential Location and Travel in the Reykjavik Capital Region

by Petter Næss, Harpa Stefansdottir, Sebastian Peters, Michał Czepkiewicz and Jukka Heinonen

Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6714; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13126714 - 13 Jun 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3378

Abstract

This article presents findings from a mixed-methods study on residential location and travel in the Reykjavik capital region, Iceland, drawing on a combination of a tailor-made questionnaire survey and in-depth qualitative interviews, including cross-sectional and before–after analyses. A residential location close to the main city center of Reykjavik contributes to shorter travel distances and lower shares of car travel. The effect of proximity to the city center is particularly strong for commuting but exists for non-work travel and overall car-driving distances too. There are also effects of proximity to a main second-order center and local centers and of local-area population density, but these effects apply to fewer aspects of travel. The rationales for location of activities and travel mode choice identified in the qualitative interviews explain why travel distances and modes tend to depend more on proximity to the main city center than on neighborhood-scale built environment characteristics. The main patterns found in the Reykjavik area are in line with findings in several earlier studies in the Nordic countries and elsewhere. However, through its methodological approach, the investigation adds to the few studies on the topic where results are underpinned by combined qualitative and quantitative methods and inclusion of before–after analyses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition towards Sustainable Urban Settlements)

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Review

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18 pages, 290 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advocating Urban Transition: A Qualitative Review of Institutional and Grassroots Initiatives in Shaping Climate-Aware Cities

by Saveria Olga Murielle Boulanger and Martina Massari

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2701; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14052701 - 25 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1991

Abstract

Climate change and its challenges have long been incorporated into the policy-making process. Advocacy actions urge to strengthen the socio-ecological resilience through engagement with stakeholders, feedback recollection, and testing of solutions. Several initiatives have been born to boost cities’ actions toward climate change mitigation and adaptation. Institutional coordinated actions such as transnational municipal networks (TMNs) and non-institutional, grassroots movements for climate action, are among them. The study focuses on four TMNs and two grassroots movements, which have an impact on the European and/or worldwide contexts. They are investigated qualitatively, reflecting on the roles and contributions to climate change that they provide both alone and together. The research questions focus on the instruments/elements/factors that they put in place to support the transition, the key messages, and how these are conferred to their key targets. The initiatives have been investigated in both the grey and scientific literature. The main results show that grassroots movements for climate action and TMNs have the potential to better support cities in their climate transition. However, local governments are urged to take advantage of both initiatives’ ability to develop networks of support, innovation and a sense of belonging. In conclusion, the research states that the two initiatives should be effectively connected and integrated with a complementary role concerning planning actions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition towards Sustainable Urban Settlements)

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