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Transition Thinking Incorporated: Towards a New Discussion Framework on Sustainable Urban Projects

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  • Sophie Devolder

    (Centre for Sustainable Development, Ghent University, Poel 16, 9000 Ghent, Belgium)

  • Thomas Block

    (Centre for Sustainable Development, Ghent University, Poel 16, 9000 Ghent, Belgium)

Abstract

Today, cities worldwide are engaged in urban projects and activities in a concerted drive towards sustainable development. However, the concept of “sustainable urban projects” is inherently normative, subjective and ambiguous. Furthermore, the popularity of sustainable urban initiatives does not guarantee that increased pressure on dominant unsustainable urban systems will occur. In this article, we argue that strong urban debates on these initiatives and on urban sustainability are required to facilitate and stimulate urban systems towards a more socially just and environmentally sustainable future. When we say “urban debates” we mean substantive talks and detailed discussions about the type of cities we want to live in and about a shared understanding of sustainable urban projects and how they affect urban systems. We aim to contribute to that objective by developing a discussion framework on sustainable urban projects that frames sustainable development as a challenge that concentrates on both ecological and social concerns and that avoids a sole reliance on technology fixes. But above all, we also incorporate insights and findings from transition thinking to focus on radical changes or transformations of urban systems and to acknowledge the importance of so-called “niches”. In this article we describe the fundamentals, the surplus value and the utility of the framework. The article contains empirical material from a pilot-study in Ghent, Belgium.

Suggested Citation

  • Sophie Devolder & Thomas Block, 2015. "Transition Thinking Incorporated: Towards a New Discussion Framework on Sustainable Urban Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:3:p:3269-3289:d:46973
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Steffen Lehmann, 2015. "A New Urban Agenda: Introduction to the Special Issue on “Sustainable Urban Development”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-7, July.
    2. Franziska Ehnert & Niki Frantzeskaki & Jake Barnes & Sara Borgström & Leen Gorissen & Florian Kern & Logan Strenchock & Markus Egermann, 2018. "The Acceleration of Urban Sustainability Transitions: A Comparison of Brighton, Budapest, Dresden, Genk, and Stockholm," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-25, February.
    3. Yuanli Li & Pengcheng Xiang & Kairui You & Jin Guo & Zhaowen Liu & Hong Ren, 2021. "Identifying the Key Risk Factors of Mega Infrastructure Projects from an Extended Sustainable Development Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-29, July.
    4. José Luis Fuentes-Bargues & Mª José Bastante-Ceca & Pablo Sebastián Ferrer-Gisbert & Mª Carmen González-Cruz, 2020. "Analysis of the Situation of Social Public Procurement of Works at the Valencian Region (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-23, December.
    5. Maarten Crivits & Charlotte Prové & Thomas Block & Joost Dessein, 2016. "Four Perspectives of Sustainability Applied to the Local Food Strategy of Ghent (Belgium): Need for a Cycle of Democratic Participation?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-21, January.
    6. Miho Kamei & Alessio Mastrucci & Bas J. van Ruijven, 2021. "A Future Outlook of Narratives for the Built Environment in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.

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