Climate Proofing Cities by Navigating Nature-Based Solutions in a Multi-Scale, Social–Ecological Urban Planning Context: A Case Study of Flood Protection in the City of Gothenburg, Sweden

Egegård, C.H., M. Lindborg, Å, Gren, L. Marcus, M.B. Pont, and J. Colding. 2024. Climate Proofing Cities by Navigating Nature-Based Solutions in a Multi-Scale, Social–Ecological Urban Planning Context: A Case Study of Flood Protection in the City of Gothenburg, Sweden. Land 13(2), 143.

Due to unsustainable land management and climate change, floods have become more frequent and severe over the past few decades and the problem is exacerbated in urban environments. In the context of climate-proofing cities, the importance of nature-based solutions (NBSs), obtaining relevant outcomes in the form of ecosystem services, has been highlighted. Although the role of ecosystem services in building resilience against negative climate change...

Placing Urban Renewal in the Context of the Resilience Adaptive Cycle

Marcus. L. and J. Colding. 2024. Placing Urban Renewal in the Context of the Resilience Adaptive Cycle. Land 13(1), 8.

Resilience thinking provides valuable insights into the dynamics of complex adaptive systems. To achieve resilience in urban systems, it can be fruitful to delve into the intricacies ofresilience processes. This paper theorizes about how the specific characteristics of resilient systems can be integrated into the spatial design of cities. Emphasizing the importance of the built form and spatial systems in maintaining order within urban processes,...

Digital technology and energy sustainability: Recent advances, challenges, and opportunities

Wei, C., C.Z. Li, A. Löschel, S. Managi, and T. Lundgren. 2023. Digital technology and energy sustainability: Recent advances, challenges, and opportunities. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 190:106803.

Digitalization and sustainability represent two global mainstreams, which affect many dimensions of economic activity and daily life. However, their interaction remains still underexploited with different synergies and tradeoffs between these goals. This Virtual Special Issue (VSI) entitled “Digital technology and energy sustainability: impacts and policy needs” presents recent research on the nexus between digital technology and energy sustainability. This editorial introduces seven recent studies on...

FAIRTRANS Policyslutsatser 1: Rättvisa koldioxidbudgetar för Sverige (FAIRTRANS Policy Conclusions 1: Fair Carbon Budgets for Sweden)

Hahn, T., M. Karlsson, I. Fetzer, A. Linell, E. Alfredsson, S. Barthel, and J. Colding. 2023. FAIRTRANS Policyslutsatser 1: Rättvisa koldioxidbudgetar för Sverige (FAIRTRANS Policy Conclusions 1: Fair Carbon Budgets for Sweden). FAIRTRANS.

FAIRTRANS Kunskapsunderlag 1. Rättviseperspektiv på digitaliseringens roll för omställning mot ett fossilfritt Sverige (Justice perspectives on the role of digitalisation in the transition towards a fossil-free Sweden)

Colding, J., S. Sjöberg, S. Barthel, M. Svensson-Wiklander, A. Rex, P. Andersson, and K. Nordin. 2023. FAIRTRANS Kunskapsunderlag 1. Rättviseperspektiv på digitaliseringens roll för omställning mot ett fossilfritt Sverige (Justice perspectives on the role of digitalisation in the transition towards a fossil-free Sweden). FAIRTRANS.

Opportunities and barriers to net-zero cities

Hsu, A. et al. 2022. Opportunities and barriers to net-zero cities. One Earth 5(7):739-744.

Today, more than 700 cities worldwide have made net-zero pledges. Managing these bold targets, however, is not easy given the complexity of urban systems. Although holistic mitigation efforts are vital, individual sectors are likely to face their own challenges and require tailor-made solutions. This Voices asks: what are the challenges and opportunities in transforming cities toward net-zero carbon emissions?

FAIRTRANS Rapport 1: Rättvisa koldioxidbudgetar för Sverige (FAIRTRANS Report 1: Fair Carbon Budgets for Sweden)

Hahn, T., I. Fetzer, M. Karlsson, J. Ergon, E. Alfredsson, M. Malmaeus, S. Barthel, and J. Colding. 2022. FAIRTRANS Rapport 1: Rättvisa koldioxidbudgetar för Sverige (FAIRTRANS Report 1: Fair Carbon Budgets for Sweden). FAIRTRANS.

Assessing sustainability through the institutional grammar of urban water systems

Deslatte, A., L. Helmke-Long, J.M. Anderies, M. Garcia, G.M. Hornberger, and E.A. Koebele. 2022. Assessing sustainability through the institutional grammar of urban water systems. Policy Studies Journal 50(2):387-406.

Urban water supply systems in the United States are designed to be robust to a wide range of historical hydrological conditions in both their physical infrastructure and in the institutional arrangements that govern their use. However, these systems vary greatly in their capacity to respond to new and evolving stressors on water supplies, such as those associated with climate change. Developing a more precise understanding...

Social-ecological urbanism: Developing discourse, institutions and urban form for the design of resilient social-ecological systems in cities

Berghauser Pont, M., S. Barthel, J. Colding, Å. Gren, A. Legeby, and L. Marcus. 2022. Social-ecological urbanism: Developing discourse, institutions and urban form for the design of resilient social-ecological systems in cities. Frontiers in Built Environment 8:982681.

NYC Climate Adaptation Scenarios for 2100: Exploring Alternative, Positive Visions for a Resilient Future

Cook, E., J. Ventrella, T. McPhearson, A. Parris, M. Tier, T. Muñoz-Erickson, D. Iwaniec, L. Mannetti, C. Green, and D. Tagtachian. 2022. NYC Climate Adaptation Scenarios for 2100: Exploring Alternative, Positive Visions for a Resilient Future. Urban Systems Lab, The New School .

In the face of global climate change, city governments must anticipate and guide decisions in response to extreme weather-related events, including coastal and inland flooding, heat waves, multi-hazard risks, drought, and winter extremes. With the goal of addressing this challenge, between Sept. 24 – Oct. 22, 2021, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Social-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETS) Convergence Research Network partnered with the New York City Mayor’s...