IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v113y2022ics0264837721005536.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Eco-districts and data-driven smart eco-cities: Emerging approaches to strategic planning by design and spatial scaling and evaluation by technology

Author

Listed:
  • Bibri, Simon Elias

Abstract

In recent years, the world has witnessed significant progress in implementing numerous eco-district and eco-city projects, which are under the banner of experimentation or seen as sites of innovation. Indeed, the rise of such initiatives serves as a sign of renewed attempts to experiment or innovate in designing urban futures in an increasingly urbanized and datafied society. In light of this, a number of alternative models of eco-urbanism have been proposed by scholars and promoted by policy makers. The prominent among these models are sustainable urban districts and data-driven smart eco-cities. At the core of these models is a range of compact and ecological design strategies and static and dynamic conceptions of spatial scaling. These are intended to produce and boost the benefits of sustainability on the basis of a set of integrated approaches—increasingly supported by big data technologies—as a way to overcome new challenges and introduce new solutions. Based on two case studies conducted on three of the ecologically and technologically leading cities in Europe—Stockholm, Malmö, and Barcelona, this paper analyses and discusses the role and relevance of integrating density, mixed land use, greening, and low-energy buildings to the sustainability of emerging eco-districts; the new conceptions of cities and their spatial scales in the context of data-driven smart eco-cities; and the opportunities and challenges of smart urban metabolism with respect to the evaluation of eco-districts. This study shows that combining compact and ecological design strategies improves the performance of eco-districts with respect to the three dimensions of sustainability, as well as paves the way for their balanced integration for producing synergistic effects. Also, this study highlights the innovative potential and enabling role of urban computing and intelligence in transforming the spatial scaling of data-driven smart eco-cities through generating the kind of designs that increase the effects of sustainability as outcomes of processes. Moreover, this study reveals the advantages of the data-driven approach to the analysis of the flows of resources in urban environments in relation to the evaluation of sustainable urban district development. This paper concludes that data-driven smart planning and evaluation holds great potential for facilitating progress towards achieving the goals of sustainability thanks to the proven role and untapped potential of big data technologies in monitoring, understanding, and analyzing urban processes and systems in real-time.

Suggested Citation

  • Bibri, Simon Elias, 2022. "Eco-districts and data-driven smart eco-cities: Emerging approaches to strategic planning by design and spatial scaling and evaluation by technology," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:113:y:2022:i:c:s0264837721005536
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105830
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837721005536
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105830?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Federico Cugurullo, 2013. "How to Build a Sandcastle: An Analysis of the Genesis and Development of Masdar City," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 23-37, January.
    2. Christopher Kennedy & John Cuddihy & Joshua Engel‐Yan, 2007. "The Changing Metabolism of Cities," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 11(2), pages 43-59, April.
    3. Babett Kühne & Kai Heidel, 2021. "How Could Smart Cities Use Data? – Towards a Taxonomy of Data-Driven Smart City Projects," Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organization, in: Frederik Ahlemann & Reinhard Schütte & Stefan Stieglitz (ed.), Innovation Through Information Systems, pages 351-366, Springer.
    4. Hossein Shahrokni & Louise Årman & David Lazarevic & Anders Nilsson & Nils Brandt, 2015. "Implementing Smart Urban Metabolism in the Stockholm Royal Seaport: Smart City SRS," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 19(5), pages 917-929, October.
    5. Simon Joss & Arthur P. Molella, 2013. "The Eco-City as Urban Technology: Perspectives on Caofeidian International Eco-City (China)," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 115-137, January.
    6. Paul J. Gertler & Sebastian Martinez & Patrick Premand & Laura B. Rawlings & Christel M. J. Vermeersch, 2016. "Impact Evaluation in Practice, Second Edition," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 25030.
    7. Casey R. Lynch & Vincent J. Del Casino, 2020. "Smart Spaces, Information Processing, and the Question of Intelligence," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 110(2), pages 382-390, March.
    8. Jamil Khan & Roger Hildingsson & Lisa Garting, 2020. "Sustainable Welfare in Swedish Cities: Challenges of Eco-Social Integration in Urban Sustainability Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, January.
    9. Sofie Pandis Iverot & Nils Brandt, 2011. "The development of a sustainable urban district in Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm, Sweden?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 13(6), pages 1043-1064, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Cheng, An-Ting, 2024. "Evaluating spatial policies without indicators: A study on Taiwan as a developmental state in transition," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    2. Hernández, José L. & de Miguel, Ignacio & Vélez, Fredy & Vasallo, Ali, 2024. "Challenges and opportunities in European smart buildings energy management: A critical review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    3. Kędra, Arleta & Maleszyk, Piotr & Visvizi, Anna, 2023. "Engaging citizens in land use policy in the smart city context," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    4. Meijing Song & Yuan Xiao & Yige Zhou, 2023. "How Does the Smart City Policy Influence Digital Infrastructure? Spatial Evidence from China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-14, July.
    5. Simonofski, Anthony & Handekyn, Phebe & Vandennieuwenborg, Celien & Wautelet, Yves & Snoeck, Monique, 2023. "Smart mobility projects: Towards the formalization of a policy-making lifecycle," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    6. D’Adamo, Idiano & Gastaldi, Massimo & Ioppolo, Giuseppe & Morone, Piergiuseppe, 2022. "An analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in Italian cities: Performance measurements and policy implications," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. I-Chun Catherine Chang, 2017. "Failure matters: Reassembling eco-urbanism in a globalizing China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(8), pages 1719-1742, August.
    2. Mohammad Taleghani & Azadeh Montazami & Daniela Perrotti, 2020. "Learning to Chill: The Role of Design Schools and Professional Training to Improve Urban Climate and Urban Metabolism," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-14, May.
    3. Changjie Zhan & Martin De Jong, 2017. "Financing Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City: What Lessons Can Be Drawn for Other Large-Scale Sustainable City-Projects?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Iveroth, Sofie Pandis & Johansson, Stefan & Brandt, Nils, 2013. "The potential of the infrastructural system of Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm, Sweden," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 716-726.
    5. Farah Mneimneh & Issam Srour & Isam Kaysi & Mona Harb, 2017. "Eco-City Projects: Incorporating Sustainability Requirements during Pre-Project Planning," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 47-74, January.
    6. Federico Cugurullo, 2016. "Urban eco-modernisation and the policy context of new eco-city projects: Where Masdar City fails and why," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(11), pages 2417-2433, August.
    7. Lee, Susan E. & Braithwaite, Peter & Leach, Joanne M. & Rogers, Chris D.F., 2016. "A comparison of energy systems in Birmingham, UK, with Masdar City, an embryonic city in Abu Dhabi Emirate," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1299-1309.
    8. Yigitcanlar, Tan & Lee, Sang Ho, 2014. "Korean ubiquitous-eco-city: A smart-sustainable urban form or a branding hoax?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 100-114.
    9. Anna Hult, 2015. "The Circulation of Swedish Urban Sustainability Practices: To China and Back," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(3), pages 537-553, March.
    10. Margarida Rodrigues & Mário Franco, 2022. "Bibliometric review about eco-cites and urban sustainable development: trend topics," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(12), pages 13683-13704, December.
    11. Federico Caprotti & Cecilia Springer & Nichola Harmer, 2015. "‘Eco’ For Whom? Envisioning Eco-urbanism in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, China," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 495-517, May.
    12. Carmen Antuña-Rozado & Justo García-Navarro & Pekka Huovila, 2019. "Challenges in Adapting Sustainable City Solutions from Finland to Different Contexts Worldwide: A Libyan Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-20, May.
    13. Valeria Saiu, 2017. "The Three Pitfalls of Sustainable City: A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating the Theory-Practice Gap," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-23, December.
    14. Massimiliano Viglioglia & Matteo Giovanardi & Riccardo Pollo & Pier Paolo Peruccio, 2021. "Smart District and Circular Economy: The Role of ICT Solutions in Promoting Circular Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-20, October.
    15. Mardones, Cristian, 2021. "Ex-post evaluation and cost-benefit analysis of a heater replacement program implemented in southern Chile," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    16. Yung-Jaan Lee, 2022. "Hybrid Ecological Footprint of Taipei," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, April.
    17. Hannah Gichungi & Beatrice Muriithi & Patrick Irungu & Gracious Diiro & John Busienei, 2021. "Effect of Technological Innovation on Gender Roles: The Case of Fruit Fly IPM Adoption on Women’s Decision-Making in Mango Production and Marketing in Kenya," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(3), pages 407-426, June.
    18. Adams, Clare & Frantzeskaki, Niki & Moglia, Magnus, 2023. "Mainstreaming nature-based solutions in cities: A systematic literature review and a proposal for facilitating urban transitions," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    19. Kumse, Kaittisak & Suzuki, Nobuhiro & Sato, Takeshi & Demont, Matty, 2021. "The spillover effect of direct competition between marketing cooperatives and private intermediaries: Evidence from the Thai rice value chain," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    20. Fresenbet Zeleke & Girma T. Kassie & Jema Haji & Belaineh Legesse, 2021. "Would Market Sheds Improve Market Participation and Earnings of Small Ruminant Keepers? Evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 470-485, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:113:y:2022:i:c:s0264837721005536. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.