How cities can become more sustainable – research summarized in ten lessons
A new international study has reviewed two decades of urban experiments and summarized ten lessons that can help cities become more sustainable. Kes McCormick from SLU is one of the researchers behind the work.
Working experimentally is crucial for sustainable urban development, according to the study led by Monash Business School. The conclusions are based on eight databases covering nearly 2,000 urban experiments. The examples relate to key processes, politics and governance, and impact. The lessons explain why some experiments work and others do not.
“Over the past two decades, we have seen a thriving era for city governments around the world to engage with urban experimentation with goals to spur transformations towards low-carbon, more resilient, just and sustainable cities.” says Professor Kes McCormick of the Department of People and Society.
The lessons focus on three areas: how experiments are designed and how to learn from them, how power and decision-making influence them, and how they create lasting change.
The results challenge the perception that urban experiments should be small, temporary pilot projects that should either be scaled up or shut down. Instead, the researchers show that experiments should be seen as an ongoing governance method that is incorporated into how cities plan, make decisions, and learn.
“The key findings of this article speak to the importance of urban experimentation in contributing to transformations over time and at local scales. In many ways, urban experiments have become a form of governing by bringing together a mix of stakeholders to engage in meaningful and impactful change processes” says Kes McCormick.
Ten lessons for urban experimentation
- Integrate social, cultural, technical and ecological dimensions
- Foster cross-sector learning
- Balance professional and citizen expertise
- Acknowledge the politics of experimentation
- Challenge global north framing of concepts
- Engage with the contested nature of collaborative learning
- Embrace formal and emergent governance mechanisms
- Adopt nuanced, pluralistic approaches to scaling
- Recognise experimentation as permanent governance practice
- Move beyond projectification
Read the full article The future of urban experimentation through ten critical lessons from decades of practice
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