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Urbanizing degrowth: Five steps towards a Radical Spatial Degrowth Agenda for planning in the face of climate emergency

Author

Listed:
  • Maria Kaika

    (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Angelos Varvarousis

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain)

  • Federico Demaria

    (Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
    Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain)

  • Hug March

    (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain)

Abstract

We call for coupling degrowth with urban studies and planning agendas as an academically salient and politically urgent endeavour. Our aim is threefold: to explore ways for ‘operationalising’ degrowth concepts into urban and regional everyday spatial practices; to sketch pathways for taking degrowth conceptually and methodologically beyond localised experiments and inform larger scale planning practices and international agendas; and to critically assess the multiple ways in which such a radical urban degrowth agenda will have to differ in the Global North and in the Global South. We outline five steps for such a programmatic, yet paradigmatic, urban degrowth agenda. These are: (1) grounding current degrowth debates within their historical–geographical context; (2) engaging (planning) institutions in linking degrowth practices to urbanisation policies; (3) examining how urban insurgent degrowth alliances can be scaled up without co-optation; (4) focusing on the role of experts and professionals in bringing degrowth principles into everyday urban practice; and (5) prefiguring how degrowth agendas can confront the diverse and unequal urban social relations and uneven outcomes in the Global North and South.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Kaika & Angelos Varvarousis & Federico Demaria & Hug March, 2023. "Urbanizing degrowth: Five steps towards a Radical Spatial Degrowth Agenda for planning in the face of climate emergency," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(7), pages 1191-1211, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:60:y:2023:i:7:p:1191-1211
    DOI: 10.1177/00420980231162234
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Rebecca Tunstall, 2023. "An empirical test of measures of housing degrowth: Learning from the limited experience of England and Wales, 1981–2011," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(7), pages 1285-1303, May.
    2. Federico Savini, 2023. "Maintaining autonomy: Urban degrowth and the commoning of housing," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(7), pages 1231-1248, May.
    3. William Otchere-Darko, 2023. "Scaling-up degrowth: Re-imagining institutional responses to climate change," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(7), pages 1316-1325, May.
    4. Alejandro De Castro Mazarro & Ritu George Kaliaden & Wolfgang Wende & Markus Egermann, 2023. "Beyond urban ecomodernism: How can degrowth-aligned spatial practices enhance urban sustainability transformations," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(7), pages 1304-1315, May.
    5. Polewsky, Max & Hankammer, Stephan & Kleer, Robin & Antons, David, 2024. "Degrowth vs. Green Growth. A computational review and interdisciplinary research agenda," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    6. Wojciech Kębłowski, 2023. "Degrowth is coming to town: What can it learn from critical perspectives on urban transport?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(7), pages 1249-1265, May.

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