sustainable urban transformation learning from the future? thriving neighbourhoods conference...

Sustainable Urban Transformation

Learning from the future?Thriving Neighbourhoods Conference

Melbourne, Australia12-14 November 2012

Kes McCormickAssistant Professor

Urban experience

Urban region

• Copenhagen, Malmo, Lund, Helsingborg

• Diversity of urban centres

• Regional powerhouse in sustainability, innovation and research

Sustainable Urban Transformation

• Structural transformation processes – multi-dimensional and radical change – that can effectively direct urban development towards ambitious sustainability goals. – Viewing cities as a source of possibilities for

sustainability– Promoting active collaboration across diverse

stakeholders– Integrating different perspectives and bodies of

knowledge and expertise – Stimulating experimentation with different solutions and

approaches

Learning from future?

Visionary plansFront runners

Targets and Actions

• Europe by 2020– A reduction in GHG emissions of at least 20% below 1990 levels – 20% of energy consumption to come from renewable resources– 20% reduction in primary energy use compared with projected levels,

through energy efficiency.– Covenant of Mayors (4400 signatures, 170 million inhabitants)

• Sweden by 2020– 40% reduction in GHG emissions compared to 1990– At least 50% share of renewable energy in the energy mix– At least 10% share of renewable energy in the transport sector– 20% more efficient use of energy compared to 2008– Climate Communities and Fossil Fuel Free Communities

Direction&

Momentum

ObservationsAUSTRALIA , SWEDEN AND EUROPE

• Buildings and precincts

• Multi-level governance

• Burden or business/resilience

• Community or jungle

• Urban living labs

Buildings and precincts

Multi-level Governance

• Bottom up? Top down?

• Policy ≠ Governance

• Creating technically sustainable urban areas → Thriving neighbourhoods

Burden or business/resilience

• Different contexts! Energy security and climate change!

• New technologies, new industries, new opportunities, new jobs → export markets

• Climate mitigation and adaptation and resilience (local and global change)

Jungle or community

• A sense of community ...

• Life is a jungle.

• Society is valuable.

• Trust in governance?

Urban living labs

• An approach to integrate research and innovation processes within a public-private-people partnership in urban contexts.– Experiments in real time, real context

(research constantly feeds into policy and action)

– Users deeply and actively involved from the early stages of projects

– Research is open for surprises and learning from users Funding!

Lund: Collaborative Actions

• Lund University Urban Arena– Interaction and collaboration across

departments/faculties on research, education and action on sustainable urban transformation

• Lund Climate Collaboration– University and city, sustainability and climate

• Urban Transition Oresund– Municipalites and universities (and businesses)– Planning processes, financing and construction

Lund: Special Volume

• Guest editors from LundUniversity (3 centres)

• 20 articles on sustainableurban transformation

• Experiences and insights from 40 cases and over 130 survey examples

Key themes ...

• Governance and planning

PROCESSES

• Collaboration and learning

• Infrastructure and resilience

STRUCTURES

• Buildings and precincts

Final thoughts ...

• Conventional policy approaches inadequate, testing and developing urban governance innovations (urban living labs)

• Learning from (local and global) experimentation with different solutions and approaches

• Universities working in local contexts with municipalities (disseminate and shape research, different perspectives)

Urban Transition Oresundwww.urban-transition.se

Lund University Urban Arenawww.urban.lu.se

Special Volume on Sustainable Urban Transformationwww.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-cleaner-production

European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL)www.enoll.org

kes.mccormick@iiiee.lu.sewww.iiiee.lu.se