Are green cities sustainable? A degrowth critique of sustainable urban development in Copenhagen

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21601331
AutoresKarl Krähmer (0000-0001-6778-8857, Dipartimento Interateneo di Scienze, Progetto e Politiche del Territorio, Politecnico di Torino and Università di Torino, Torino, Italy, autor correspondente)
Ano2021
Volume29
Fascículo7
Páginas1272-1289
Data de publicação2021-07-03
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoEuropean Planning Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0965-4313 • E-ISSN: 1469-5944
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09654313.2020.1841119
OpenAlexW3095218179
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas35
Referências citadas42

This paper proposes a case-based degrowth critique of sustainable urban development strategies. Copenhagen, European Green Capital in 2014, is considered a role model of planning for sustainability. Does this hold in a degrowth perspective? Sustainable development assumes that environmental impacts can decline while the economy grows. Degrowth maintains that such a process of absolute decoupling is infeasible. Analyzing Copenhagen’s planning documents in this perspective, I find three factors that make the city’s sustainability strategy ineffective for ecological sustainability. First, Copenhagen’s strategy for climate neutrality is based on externalization: only emissions produced locally are counted. Meanwhile, emissions produced outside of the city for products and services consumed locally remain high. Secondly, policies focus on the efficiency of activities rather than their overall impact: efficiency gains are considered reductions of impact, but really mean slower growth of impact. Finally, sustainability measures are proposed as a ‘green fix’, to increase competitiveness and promote economic growth, leading to increased consumption and impact. Analyzing the critical case of Copenhagen in a degrowth perspective, sheds doubts on sustainable urban development, but does not imply the rejection of all its typical planning measures. This induces reflections on how these results can contribute to a degrowth-oriented urban planning

Biology · Degrowth · Economic system · Economics · Economy · Green growth · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Environmental Impact and Sustainability · Sustainable Building Design and Assessment · Urban Transport and Accessibility · Ecology