City-Level Decoupling-Case Studies

CITY-LEVEL DECOUPLING: URBAN RESOURCE FLOWS AND THE GOVERNANCE OF INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSITIONS

Certain aspects of Vauban’s context have acted in favour of its sustainable development. As Freiburg is a university town, most of its residents are well-educated young families with knowledge of how to lobby effectively. They also seem to be more likely to embrace progressive ideas, as demonstrated by the 2009 elections for the German Federal Parliament in which 39% of the voters in Vauban supported the Green Party. 42 The city has a long history of support for public transport and was home to Germany’s first citizen’s movement against nuclear energy in the 1970s. 43 Furthermore, the region has plenty of forest resources, and Freiburg is the sunniest city in Germany, with 1,800 hours of sunshine per year. 44 The existence of environmental research institutes allowed residents to test environmental innovations relevant to this context. One of the key elements of Vauban’s success was the participation of future residents in the district planning, as well as in other collectively organized initiatives such as the co-building groups. Under the umbrella concept of a sustainable model district it was possible to test sustainability concepts in several areas. The average number of motor vehicles in Vauban is half the national average for Germany at 250 cars per 1,000 residents 45 and low energy housing adopting passive houses standards in 270 residences is estimated to reduce CO ² emissions by 2,100 t per year. 46 Certain challenges have limited Vauban’s ability to optimise its sustainability. The obligatory connection to the electricity grid and its tariff structure has made some measures of reduction in energy demand unviable. 47 Likewise, in spite of affordable housing being available to the lower income population through the owner cooperatives and public subsities of rental units, an earlier plan to incorporate 25% of social housing into the district had to be reduced considerably because of cutbacks in the state housing program. 48 Residential streets could also work better if more enforcement from the Municipality discouraged free riders by fining illegally-parked cars. Originally planned to be finished in 2006, Vauban was almost fully completed by 2008, and hosts a population of around 5,000 inhabitants and 500 jobs within its 38 hectare area. 49 Residents say that they enjoy living there due to lower noise levels and air pollution, safer streets for children to play, shorter distances that favour the elderly and greater interaction with neighbours when commuting on foot instead of by car. 50 These insights reinforce the idea that sustainable lifestyles are not only advantageous for the planet, but can be socially desirable too.

7. Closing the resource loop through Urban Agriculture in Accra, Ghana

By Matthew Wood-Hill (Development Planning Unit, University College London)

Against a background of water scarcity, urban farmers in Accra lacking access to clean piped water to irrigate their crops, or unable to afford to use the water available, have been turning to wastewater as a solution. Accra’s expanding metropolitan population is putting greater demand on the water supply, leading authorities to declare it illegal to used piped water for irrigation without paying a surcharge. As a result, farmers and their forebears who in many cases have cultivated

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