Urban Governance最新文献

{"title":"Why do smart city projects fail to create impact? Understanding decision-making in smart city policy implementation","authors":"Devika Prakash","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Smart city projects have been rolled out in various parts of the world, often promising radical urban transformations driven by cutting edge technologies. However, several studies on smart city implementation have noted how these iconic and technology intensive projects have often failed to create the impact they promise. Extending upon emerging scholarship on decision-making in smart city implementation, I use the framework of the garbage can model of organizational choice to unpack key decisions taken around smart city implementation in the city of Kochi in India and the tensions surrounding its flagship integrated command and control centre (ICCC). The case study reveals that the smart city arrives as a top-down directive from the central government where the existing problems of the city are reconfigured to fit nationally envisioned smart city agendas. The implementation of smart city projects is bound up with political tensions between existing local and state organisations and often disrupted by election-cycles and the shuffling of government bureaucrats at the helm of the smart city organisation. The ICCC arrives in Kochi as a solution-looking-for-a-problem as a mandate from the central government. Over time, the increasing distance between the smart city projects and the existing local authorities results in limited integration of the ICCC with urban governance in Kochi. The study shows how smart city projects are embroiled in organizational path dependency and political controversies contrary to the apolitical and rational technical fixes promised in smart city vision documents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 45-53"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring big data applications in sustainable urban infrastructure: A review","authors":"David Victor Ogunkan ,&nbsp;Stella Kehinde Ogunkan","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As urbanization accelerates globally, cities face unprecedented challenges related to infrastructure management, resource efficiency, and sustainability. To address these issues, many cities are increasingly integrating big data into their infrastructure systems, particularly within the context of smart cities. This study provides a comprehensive review of how big data is utilized to promote sustainable urban infrastructure, focusing on five key areas: energy management, transportation systems, water resources, waste management, and green infrastructure. The analysis draws on successful case studies from cities such as Barcelona, Singapore, Amsterdam, and New York, exploring how these urban centers leverage big data to optimize infrastructure systems and improve environmental and social outcomes. Additionally, this review identifies the challenges cities face when integrating big data into their planning processes, including data privacy concerns, technical expertise gaps, and the high costs of infrastructure upgrades. The findings suggest that big data plays a transformative role in enhancing urban resilience, reducing environmental impact, and fostering long-term sustainability. The study concludes by highlighting future research opportunities, particularly the potential of AI and advanced analytics in further optimizing smart city infrastructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 54-68"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The future of EPCs: Data, policy, and public perception in the race for energy efficiency","authors":"Aitziber Mugarra ,&nbsp;Cruz Borges ,&nbsp;Leandro Ferrón ,&nbsp;Oxana Soimu","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amidst the pressing concern about climate change, the construction sector has been identified as one of the main energy consumers in Europe, which also positions it as one of the sectors with the greatest potential for efficiency improvements. In response to this, the European Union established the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) system, with the aim of boosting transparency and encouraging sustainable renovations. However, the results have not been as expected. Some of the causes of this are poor data quality, limited public awareness and inadequate legislation, which together undermine trust in the certification process. In addition, concerns about the possible exclusion of low-income households have sparked debates about the financial burdens and possible rent increases following energy efficiency improvements. This article presents insights from a qualitative study of various stakeholders, including public agencies, technical experts and real estate professionals, examining prevailing perceptions of EPC design, implementation and utility. Key findings reveal that mandatory policies drive adoption, but administrative complexities and inconsistent metrics erode public trust. Furthermore, the gap between specialist and non-specialist audiences prevents the certificate from playing a role in motivating behaviour change. The new version of the European Commission's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) introduces standardised templates and databases. Added to this, stakeholder feedback highlights the need for public education, accurate energy data and tailored financial mechanisms. This study concludes that to refine EPC policies, integrated and holistic frameworks are needed that address socio-economic risks, foster equity and accelerate Europe's transition to low-carbon housing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 32-44"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cities and sustainability: Exploring contributions, opportunities and challenges of smart city implementation towards social sustainability","authors":"Dhiyathad Prateeppornnarong","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The past few decades have witnessed the smart city concept's worldwide popularity as the way forward for struggling with urban issues and challenges, bringing about sustainability of cities. Smart city implementation, however, has been researched chiefly within the context of major cities where the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and connectivity is readily available and reliable. In contrast, little was known of smart city implementation in many other fast-growing secondary cities. Drawing from the concept of social sustainability, this research seeks to explore contributions, opportunities and challenges of smart city implementation towards social sustainability of secondary cities in developing countries, using Udon Thani – a fast-growing secondary city of upper northeastern Thailand – as a research context. Grounded in 42 in-depth interviews, the findings show that smart city implementation contributes to social sustainability of Udon Thani in terms of enhancing the safety of the public, the provision of public services and offering opportunities for building a better urban society. Nevertheless, low public awareness of smart city development, inadequate collaboration between different sectors in the locality, and a lack of a smart city plan are posing significant challenges to smart city implementation, reflecting that the development of a smart city project in Udon Thani is not based on a holistic approach; hence, the implementation of the project is decidedly patchy. This research argues that the achievement of smart city implementation relies upon a holistic and multidimensional approach, taking into account integrated urban planning, cross-sector collaboration, marketing campaign strategies and the identification of context-specific instruments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 69-78"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multilevel governance in times of COVID-19 pandemic. Patterns of legitimacy and governance capacity","authors":"Jurian Edelenbos ,&nbsp;Jitske van Popering-Verkerk ,&nbsp;Mattijs Taanman ,&nbsp;Marijn Stouten","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing multilevel governance capacity is key to deal with crises in a legitimate and effective manner. But how does multilevel governance manifest in response to COVID-19 in the Netherlands? The study shows low to absent multilevel governance capacity, with strong central government authority and limited regional governance. We found that multilevel governance only benefits an effective crises response if the regional level has three assets authority, capacity and legitimacy to vertically connect with decision-making processes in the upper tiers of government. This puts emphasis on developing vertical and horizontal relationships between various governmental levels and authorities in times of crises.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 94-102"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban progress index (UPI) development: A case-oriented comparative approach","authors":"Sahar Nedaei Tousi ,&nbsp;Hossein Yousefi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Hossein Boochani ,&nbsp;Mohammad Hasan Ghodusinejad ,&nbsp;Setareh Peirov","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.12.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.12.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the age of globalization, megacities, as the main centers of national wealth production, have become competing places to attract people and creative industries, earn more money and gain more market share. This requires them to redefine their competitive advantages and hence improve their international status. Accordingly, the city ranking approach by means of a composite index, is widely employed and attracts public attention to provide a barometer of how various aspects and parts of a city are unfolding and performing. In this regard, this research is dedicated to compiling an appropriate composite index for ranking and monitoring the progress of Tehran regions in an integrated, inclusive and agreed manner in accordance with the contextual conditions of urban development in Iran. Based on this, Tehran Urban Progress Index (TUPI) was defined and operationalized with 26 criteria and 176 indicators under six main components including “economic efficiency and competitiveness”, “urban environmental sustainability”, “viability, well-being and satisfaction”, “smartness, innovation, and entrepreneurship”, “interactions, interconnection and communication” and “urban governance”. It is concluded that urban innovation and entrepreneurship and then competitiveness and economic efficiency are the most effective factors in the progress of the city. Also, analyzing the spatial pattern of the progress index shows that the areas located in the northern zones of Tehran are in a better position compared to the southern zones. The suggested developed method used in this study can be applied to all other megacities regarding their unique criteria. Based on the results of this paper, some regulations and control policies are suggested for sustainable urban progress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 103-120"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Situating the compliance with land use regulations within the context of sustainable city development: Lessons from Ho Municipality of Ghana","authors":"Pearl Seyram Asamoah ,&nbsp;Stephen Appiah Takyi ,&nbsp;Stephen Biliyitorb Liwur ,&nbsp;Owusu Amponsah ,&nbsp;Sylvanus Narh Duamor","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.12.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.12.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urbanizing in cities in the global south continues to reshape land use systems. Consequently, theuncontrolled rate of urbanization in cities such as Ho in Ghana, continues to threaten the sustainability of urban natural assets and agricultural lands. Although there are existing land use regulations and guidelines to guide and control development, the enforcement of these regulations continues to face major challenges. In light of this, this study evaluates the effectiveness of land use regulations in the Ho Municipality and its implications for sustainable city development. In this study, the researchers relied on both primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected through interviews with representatives of institutions such as the Lands Commission, the Traditional Council, and the Ho Municipal Assembly. In terms secondary data, base maps of the study areas, Medium-Term Development Plans, the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925) and the Zoning Guidelines and Planning Standards were reviewed, serving as tge framework for the assessment of the extent of compliance. Overall, the findings points to a complex combination of compliance and non-compliance with land use regulations. Whereas compliance with land use regulations and activities in the study areas tend to promote sustainability,non-compliance with these regulations on the other hand threatens urban sustainability. For example, in the Ho Poly Area, there was no evidence of encroachment of the buffer zones of overhead power lines and arterial roads. This indicates that there is compliance with land use regulations, and this has positive implications for the sustainability of the city. However, there were no provisions for urban green spaces in the neighbourhood plan, which raises concerns on the ecological and general sustainability of the city. On this backdrop, the researchers recommend stricter enforcement and the adoption of effective urban planning strategies such as institutional collaboration to achieve sustainable city development. Additionally, adopting emerging techniques such as big data, machine learning, and IoT for urban planning and management in these Ghanaian cities can enhance sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 79-93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143705776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of COVID-19 led transition of work culture and travel to work patterns on society and environment in Delhi","authors":"Deepty Jain","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.10.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.10.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Globally, COVID-19 has led to changes in daily lifestyle and travel behavior. There was a shift from in-person physical jobs to work-from-home culture, even for those jobs that required in-person presence at the job location. However, this was not true for everyone, and a majority continued to travel to work. The limited capacity of public transport services and the fear of exposure to the virus restrained people from practicing their conventional mobility choices. We explore the impact of COVID-19 on the nature of jobs and related changes in work travel patterns by population groups for Delhi using in-person surveys conducted during 2021 in six localities of Delhi. We also estimated the short- and long-term impacts of altered behavior on expenditures and equivalent CO₂ emissions.</div><div>As per the analysis, lower income groups, having no vehicles, with lesser qualifications, and employed as daily wagers, had limited capacity to change to work-from-home during COVID-19. We observed an increased dependency on personal motorized vehicles, leading to increased expenditures and reduced affordability. Adopting work-from-home during COVID-19 helped reduce equivalent CO₂ emissions per working member by 39 %. However, as the work at the site resumes, the emissions are expected to increase. The study shows that COVID-19 led to short-term benefits, but in the long term, the externalities will likely increase. Working from home during the pandemic provides short-term benefits; the social benefits are not equally distributed, and the transport emissions shall increase in the long term.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"4 4","pages":"Pages 388-400"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143354761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding big data and data protection measures in smart city strategies: An analysis of 28 cities","authors":"Martin Lnenicka ,&nbsp;Petr Hervert ,&nbsp;Oldrich Horak","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.12.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Smart City concept aims to improve urban governance and optimize public services, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for citizens. As data generation and processing grow rapidly in volume, velocity, and variety, Smart Cities must integrate secure big data considerations into their strategic frameworks and project implementations. This paper explores how big data and data protection measures are represented in the strategies of 28 cities worldwide. To achieve this, we employed a three-phase research methodology: 1) identifying resources, 2) conducting content analysis, and 3) using the Delphi method. Our findings indicate that only half of the cities explicitly address big data in their strategies, and most lack adequate data protection measures. Additionally, the paper presents a list of recommendations for big data management and data protection, derived from measures found in Smart City strategies and validated by domain experts through the Delphi method. These recommendations aim to enhance understanding of how to effectively incorporate big data and its protection into urban planning and Smart City projects. However, it is important to note that these insights primarily apply to larger urban areas with abundant resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"4 4","pages":"Pages 255-273"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143354972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban governance and power consumption dynamics in China's carbon-intensive sectors: Insights for sustainable development","authors":"Khalid Zaman","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2024.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the intricate relationships between industrial practices and power consumption within China's carbon-intensive industries. By leveraging the fundamental principles of Newton's second law of motion, this research provides a novel perspective to evaluate the dynamics between forces, motion, and power usage in industrial operations. Employing a systems theory approach, the study considers industrial practices (IP), surface conditions (SC), equipment efficiency (EE), production output (PO), and power consumption (PC) as interconnected components within a larger system. The study employed robust least squares regression, Granger causality, and inter-temporal forecasting relationship between the variables. The findings of this investigation yield valuable insights. Regarding industrial practices (IP), it is observed that the utilization of chemicals exhibits a negative correlation with electric power consumption, implying that certain chemical processes entail lower electricity requirements. Conversely, technical cooperation grants and machinery &amp; transport equipment demonstrate a positive relationship with power consumption, indicating their contribution to increased electricity usage. Regarding surface conditions (SC), it is revealed that factors such as oil rents, ores &amp; metal exports, and renewable energy are associated with reduced power consumption. This suggests that practices enhancing smoothness, minimizing roughness, and implementing appropriate coatings can decrease electricity demand. Conversely, the pump price for diesel fuel exhibits a positive relationship with power consumption, implying that higher fuel prices drive increased electricity usage. Moreover, concerning equipment efficiency (EE), it is found that textiles &amp; clothing manufacturing value added displays a negative correlation with power consumption. This highlights the potential for reducing electricity consumption in the textile and clothing industry through manufacturing technological advancements. Finally, in the realm of production output (PO), carbon emissions and manufacturing value-added are positively linked to power consumption, underscoring the energy-intensive nature of these activities. Conversely, electric power transmission and distribution losses demonstrate a negative relationship with power consumption, emphasizing the significance of minimizing energy losses within the grid infrastructure. The study concludes that China must prioritize renewable energy subsidies and carbon emission reductions to meet its environmental goals. Reduced power use by energy-efficient machines and transit systems can boost metropolis economies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"4 4","pages":"Pages 313-328"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143354759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}