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The Framing of Urban Sustainability Transformations

Author

Listed:
  • David M. Iwaniec

    (Urban Studies Institute, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3992, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
    These authors contributed equally in this work.)

  • Elizabeth M. Cook

    (Urban Systems Lab, Environmental Studies Department, The New School, 79 Fifth Ave, 1605, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Avenida Rector Eduardo Morales Miranda s/n, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile
    These authors contributed equally in this work.)

  • Olga Barbosa

    (Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Avenida Rector Eduardo Morales Miranda s/n, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile
    Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Región Metropolitana de Santiago 7750000, Chile)

  • Nancy B. Grimm

    (School of Life Sciences and Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 874501, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA)

Abstract

Transformational change is not always intentional. However, deliberate transformations are imperative to achieve the sustainable visions that future generations deserve. Small, unintentional tweaks will not be enough to overcome persistent and emergent urban challenges. Recent scholarship on sustainability transformations has evolved considerably, but there is no consensus on what qualifies transformational change. We describe variations in current discussions of intentional sustainability transformations in the literature and synthesize strategies from funding institutions’ recent requests for proposals for urban sustainability transformations. Research funding initiatives calling for transformational change are increasingly common and are an important driver of how transformational change is articulated in research-practice in cities. From this synthesis, we present seven criteria for transformational change that provide direction for framing and implementing transformational change initiatives.

Suggested Citation

  • David M. Iwaniec & Elizabeth M. Cook & Olga Barbosa & Nancy B. Grimm, 2019. "The Framing of Urban Sustainability Transformations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-10, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:3:p:573-:d:199960
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David M. Iwaniec & Daniel L. Childers & Kurt VanLehn & Arnim Wiek, 2014. "Studying, Teaching and Applying Sustainability Visions Using Systems Modeling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(7), pages 1-18, July.
    2. Marc Wolfram & Niki Frantzeskaki, 2016. "Cities and Systemic Change for Sustainability: Prevailing Epistemologies and an Emerging Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-18, February.
    3. Crépin, Anne-Sophie & Biggs, Reinette & Polasky, Stephen & Troell, Max & de Zeeuw, Aart, 2012. "Regime shifts and management," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 15-22.
    4. Edward T. Game & Heather Tallis & Lydia Olander & Steven M. Alexander & Jonah Busch & Nancy Cartwright & Elizabeth L. Kalies & Yuta J. Masuda & Anne-Christine Mupepele & Jiangxiao Qiu & Andrew Rooney , 2018. "Cross-discipline evidence principles for sustainability policy," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(9), pages 452-454, September.
    5. Roger Few & Katrina Brown & Emma L. Tompkins, 2007. "Public participation and climate change adaptation: avoiding the illusion of inclusion," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 46-59, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Helena Sustar & Miloš N. Mladenović & Moshe Givoni, 2020. "The Landscape of Envisioning and Speculative Design Methods for Sustainable Mobility Futures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-24, March.
    2. Anne Maassen & Madeleine Galvin, 2019. "What Does Urban Transformation Look Like? Findings from a Global Prize Competition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Anastasia Papangelou & Jean‐Baptiste Bahers & Lynda Aissani, 2023. "Drivers of urban metabolism: Toward a framework for urban transformations," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(5), pages 1389-1405, October.
    4. Carmela Gargiulo & Floriana Zucaro, 2023. "A Method Proposal to Adapt Urban Open-Built and Green Spaces to Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-29, May.
    5. Darren Sierhuis & Luca Bertolini & Willem Van Winden, 2024. "“Recovering†the political: Unpacking the implications of (de)politicization for the transformative capacities of urban experiments," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 42(2), pages 303-321, March.

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