Urban metabolism for resource efficient cities: from theory to implementation

The concept of urban metabolism has inspired ideas about designing sustainable cities and has furthered quantitative approaches to urban resource flow assessment. However, no consensus exists about which of these assessment... [ view full abstract ]

The concept of urban metabolism has inspired ideas about designing sustainable cities and has furthered quantitative approaches to urban resource flow assessment. However, no consensus exists about which of these assessment methods are best used to analyze the sustainability of these complex systems. Further, the practical implementation of urban metabolism in spatial urban planning and policy development has been limited. This paper therefore explores the contribution of urban metabolism in understanding urban processes to support resource efficiency interventions and how the concept can be transformed from theory to practical implementation when quantitative assessments are considered. This was achieved by critically reviewing: the concept of urban metabolism in the context of resource efficient cities; urban metabolism approaches and their application in urban contexts. Based on critical literature analysis, perspectives for transitioning from theory to practical implementation include: (i) choosing an assessment approach by undertaking a basic urban metabolism assessment for all cities; (ii) moving from top-down to bottom-up approaches; (iii) linking spatial and temporal issues; (iv) switching between the different scales of analysis; (v) promoting a trans-disciplinary approach; and (vi) promoting system dynamics modelling.

Keywords:Resource efficiency; urban metabolism; urban planning; urban sustainability; Transdisciplinary; System dynamics