Transformation processes in cities Opportunities for nature-based solutions Dr. Niki Frantzeskaki Dutch Research Institute For Transitions Erasmus University Rotterdam, NL frantzeskaki@drift.eur.nl Bonn 17.11.2015 #ECBCC2105
Urban Sustainability Transitions Processes of progressive transformations: incremental change builds progressively to fundamental shifts in ways of doing, thinking and organising Set-up and learn from experimentation: governance, social and technological experimentation as situated learning experiences that catalyze transition pathways Interventions establish a positive path-connectivity: short-term and long-term actions are connected and contribute to the roll-out of deliberate strategic actions for sustainability
Transition Initiatives A locally-based activity which drives transformative change towards environmental sustainability of existing societal systems in multiple dimensions across multiple domains. multiple dimensions : infrastructure and technologies, rules and norms, routines and practices.
Role of Nature-based solutions in transitions? NBS as disruptive innovations: innovations that reroute on-going developments and plans as well as act as turning points within transformative pathways NBS as conforming innovations: innovations that are adjacent to existing plans and on-going developments and potentially reinforce existing urban sustainability & resilience agendas
Accelerating urban sustainability transitions with and through NBS - Spreading new ways of doing, thinking and/or organizing to a larger number of people in the city-region; - Exploiting synergies between (multiple and diverse) agents in the city-region, and; - Exerting capacity to navigate complex governance structures and patterns for strengthening new ways of doing, thinking and / or organising in the city-region. We conceptualise that the synergistic effect of the mechanisms brings about acceleration of sustainability transitions in the cityregions.
Accelerating urban sustainability transitions embedding instrumentalising input and anchor new ways of doing, organising and thinking seize opportunities to strengthen local activities coupling upscaling partner to seek and seize synergies growth of members and broadening of scope replicating more of the same (repeating, emulating, branching)
NBS as disruptive innovations Organic and Regional Food Cooperative in Dresden upscaling 3 9000 1991 2015
Brighton, March.2015 Rethinking social relations and institutions due to NBS Coupling and embedding
Rethinking urban governance due to NBS Instrumentalising
Urban environmental stewardship Genk, June 2015
New solutions for vacant spaces Disrupting densification and gentrification embedding Milan, December.2014
NBS as conforming innovations replicating
Replicating and coupling
Instrumentalising Budapest, June 2015
Embedding and Instrumentalising Stockholm, June.2015
Accelerating urban sustainability transitions with and through NBS interactions between local initiatives and multi-level governance context (trans-local scaling) interactions amongst local initiatives (local scaling) embedding instrumentalising coupling upscaling replicating
NBS as transformative innovations? Do they set in motion processes of progressive transformations? incremental change builds progressively to fundamental shifts in ways of doing, thinking and organising Are they part of urban experimentation? governance, social and technological experimentation as situated learning experiences that catalyze transition pathways Do they establish a productive path-connectivity? short-term and long-term actions are connected and contribute to the roll-out of deliberate strategic action for sustainability
Role of Nature-based solutions in transitions? NBS as disruptive innovations: innovations that reroute on-going developments and plans as well as act as turning points within transformative pathways NBS as conforming innovations: innovations that are adjacent to existing plans and on-going developments and potentially reinforce existing urban sustainability & resilience agendas
New solutions for vacant spaces Disrupting densification and gentrification embedding Milan, December.2014
NBS as disruptive to densification agendas NBS as conforming to social policy agendas Accelerating urban sustainability transitions through NBS implies navigating tensions and explore synergies across policy agendas and multiple actors
STORIES OF CHANGE (stories-of-change.org)
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Upscaling Conceptualisation: Upscaling of a single initiative through growth of members, supporters or users in order to spread new ways of doing, thinking and/or organizing. 17-may-2015 The Budapest bike movement is back and bigger than ever Read our blog Blog.acceleratingtransitions.eu What research shows: Transition initiatives often scale-up in terms of increasing number of users and of broadening their objectives (mission); however there are limits to growth and upscaling is not always desired by the transition initiatives.
Embedding Conceptualisation: Embedding new ways of doing, thinking and organising into city regional governance patterns. Bee Plan in Genk, Flanders a multi-stakeholder initiative that inspired a cross departmental approach in the city administration and facilitates different citizen-led initiatives.
Instumentalising developments at subnational, national, transnational or European levels (i.e. in the multi-level governance context of the city-region) in order to strengthen new ways of doing, thinking and/or organising locally. BikeHub, Brighton convinced the city that investing in biking infrastructure is a valid option and via the city draw on national resources to strengthen their practice locally
Transformative Change: The initiative aims to transform the way that basic services such as energy, food, mobility or housing (see the Domains defined in the characteristics of initiatives) are currently provided, through the renewal or replacement of a whole set of interconnected elements (e.g. infrastructures and technologies, rules and norms, routines and practices, and so on).