Urban metabolism: old challenges, new frontiers and the research agenda ahead
Abstract
The "Urban Metabolism" concept has in recent years gained popularity in urban sustainability research and still thrives in disciplinary fields as varied as urban ecology, industrial ecology, political ecology, and political-industrial ecology. The popularity of the concept stems from increased recognition of the need for a whole system approach to better understand the challenges resulting from cities' ever-growing demand for natural resources and their environmental impacts. Beyond the concept, the urban metabolism field provides analytical tools and methods to assess the resource-intensity of cities and associated waste and pollutant rejection. Despite recent efforts to unlock key technical aspects of the most popular assessment methods through, for example, a growing number of science-policy collaborative initiatives, urban metabolism research has not yet consistently delivered on its promises. This article concentrates on three main challenges identified from analysis of recent literature and retrospective evaluations of previous research: the persistence of conceptual and methodological silos across urban and industrial ecology, the still limited understanding of the interdependence between biophysical and socioeconomic aspects of the metabolism of urban systems, and, finally, the missing link between urban metabolism analysis and the implementation of real-world design solutions. The discussion of these three challenges offers the opportunity to identify new research frontiers for the field and to outline a tentative research agenda for urban metabolism as a framework for better integration of urban disciplines and for strategic investigation and action on the ecology of the city.
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