Low-carbon urban experiments from vision to reality: a systematic review of the literature from 2005 to 2020

ABSTRACT

In recent decades, many cities have launched low-carbon pilot schemes to explore feasible local policies and actions that can be replicated on a larger scale to reduce the intensity of carbon emissions. This synthesis analysis reviews the global literature to analyse the interplay of prescriptive visions, practical responses, and evaluation methods of low-carbon urban experiments. Before 2015, low-carbon urban experiments were regarded as a sub-branch of sustainable development, and prescriptive visions were influenced by sustainability. Low-carbon urban experiments were used as an urban planning tool, and such urban planning concepts impacted the practical response and evaluation methods. After 2015, low-carbon urban experiments were influenced by many more disciplines. Planning still occupies the largest proportion of low-carbon practices, but more advanced technologies – in energy and other fields – have also been adopted and influence the evolution of low-carbon urban experiments. We find several driving factors, including political events and developments, technology change, and contributions from various disciplines including academic research. As carbon neutrality is the long-term target of many nations, achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions through prescriptive visions, practical responses, and evaluation methods in urban experiments demands further investigation, especially in developing countries.

Key policy insights

• Low-carbon initiatives on a small scale are frequently practiced by local and national governments, which has reshaped the low-carbon agenda worldwide.

• Low-carbon development also demands efforts and commitment on the part of local urban governments to promote low-carbon development in its multiple dimensions.

• Policymakers at different levels of government and governance should focus on how to build on policy instruments in experimental pilots to take action at broader scales.

• Policymakers also need to adopt relevant indicators from social science in evaluation methods to reflect social sustainability and inclusiveness concerns in the evaluation of low-carbon urban development.

KEYWORDS:

• Low-carbon urban experiments
• prescriptive visions
• practical responses
• evaluation methods

Notes

1 (TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low-carbon cit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low carbon cit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low-carbon pilot*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low carbon pilot*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low-carbon district*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low carbon district*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low-carbon communit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low carbon communit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low-carbon zone*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low carbon zone*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low-carbon town*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("low carbon town*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("climate change cit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("climate change pilot*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("climate change district*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("climate change communit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("climate change zone*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("climate change town*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero-carbon cit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero carbon cit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero-carbon pilot*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero carbon pilot*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero-carbon district*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero carbon district*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero-carbon communit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero carbon communit*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero-carbon zone*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero carbon zone*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero-carbon town*") OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ("zero carbon town*")) AND PUBYEAR < 2021 AND PUBYEAR > 2004 AND (LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE, "ar") OR LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE, "re")) AND (LIMIT-TO (LANGUAGE, "English")).

Additional information

Funding

This research is supported by the Humanities and Social Sciences Fund of the Ministry of Education in China [grant number: 21YJC630023]; the 14th five-year plan of philosophy and social sciences project of Guangdong [GD22XGL54]; the 2022 Planning Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Shenzhen (SZ2022B023), Shenzhen Peacock Plan, Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation [grant number: 2022A1515110755; 2023A1515012414] This paper is also supported by the Shenzhen Humanities & Social Sciences Key Research Bases (Carbon Emission Peaking and Carbon Neutral Technology, Policy and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen; Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Research Institute, Shenzhen University).