On the Systemic Features of Urban Systems. A Look at Material Flows and Cultural Dimensions to Address Post-Growth Resilience and Sustainability
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Urbanization is widely recognized as a relentless trend at the global level. Nevertheless, a comprehensive assessment of urban systems able to address the future growth and decline of cities is still lacking. Urban systems today rely on abundant resources, flowing in from other regions, and their future availability and accessibility should be taken into consideration to ensure urban well-being and resilience in likely post-growth scenarios. A logical framework to address the challenge of urban planning and management to promote long-term urban system sustainability is proposed. Systems thinking and diagramming are applied, while comprehensively tracking the key material flows upon which cities depend back to their sources. First, the nexus among resources and urban activities is identified, and then its circularity is framed within a wider discourse on urban sustainability and resilience. Discussion is carried out within a twofold perspective of both existing and newly built environments, while related economies are analyzed in order to find possible game-changing scenarios.
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... Context is still identified among the factors that may influence implementation of circular loops at the city level (Williams, 2019). Other authors have highlighted the need to integrate the management aspect of material flows with other dynamics present in urban contexts (Zucaro et al., 2022), taking into account external changes (Cristiano et al., 2020), while other studies, reports and policies are increasingly urging to adopt a multi-actors perspective and stress how important is the contribution of different actors is in making circular shift more effective and successful (Circle Economy, 2023). In this sense, it would be important for institutions, companies and other financial actors, researchers, and civil society to develop a cultural change and strengthen a common vision of CE and its implementation. ...
... This seems relevant also in light of the evidence emerging in the research conducted by Pietrulla (2022), who suggests an advancement on this latter CE substream literature to provide "different perspectives, ideas and framework proposals for circular ecosystems which could allow a more informed discussion leading to conceptual clarity. " 4.1 Discuss implications of the results for practice, policy, and future research As already noted by Kalmykova et al. (2018), studies retrieved on CE implementation rarely suggest system changes to economy, while other authors (Cristiano et al., 2020), point out the need of integrating the logic of the transition, combining qualitative aspects with others of quantitative nature. On the other hand, it would be important to proceed with addressing research and enquires on materials flows, closing the loops, integrating systemic thinking, as well as transition and transformational changes (Iacovidou et al., 2021). ...
Circular Economy (CE) studies often focus primarily on technical and economic aspects of the transition process. Recently, some authors have started to enquire the social processes connected to of the CE, often referring to communities. This article provides a Systematic Literature Review on the nexus between CE and community to investigate its features according to the experiences reported in the collected documents. The retrieved corpus has been analyzed recurring to consolidated frameworks, as the R hierarchy, the societal areas challenges identified by the S trategic Research and Innovation Agenda developed by the EU project CICERONE, and to the spectrum of participation provided by the International Association for Public Participation. The participative dynamics found in the corpus are analyzed also considering the type of communities, tools, methodologies and goals reported in the retrieved documents. Besides descriptive statistics about the mentioned aspects, the article includes a discussion on some CE social aspects, problematizing and questioning the retrieved stakeholders engagement practices, recurring to a qualitatively selected literature. Conclusions address the main findings related to the most commonly found R strategy, community type, societal challenge areas and type of participative dynamics according to the analytical components chosen in the methodology. Research implications are illustrated, suggesting possible directions for future research to widen the analysis on the nexus between CE and communities.
... Resilience is the capacity of a system to maintain the characteristics of the current system while exhibiting a wide range of relative changes in response to changes in system state. Sustainability refers to the survival and quality of future stages that can be maintained in the face of abrupt change and has an anthropocentric nature, ranging from high to poor sustainability (Cristiano et al. 2020;Elmqvist et al. 2019). Shutters et al. (2015) used empirical data on urban economic production to explore the trade-off between efficiency and resilience, and the results reveal that cities with stronger resilience perform better in the face of recessionary shocks. ...
... A trade-off model is necessary to balance social economic system and ecological system in urban development. Cristiano et al. (2020) argued from an energy value perspective that the study of urban sustainability and resilience needs to be explored from a system ...
So far, urban scaling theory has proven that urban area, infrastructure, and economic output have a scaling relation with population. But if we consider ecological space as a part of urban infrastructure, would the same scaling characteristics exist? What is the scaling relationship between ecological spaces and economic social development in different stages of urbanization? This paper is based on this question and explores the trade-off between social economic system and ecosystem in 370 cities of China. The results show that the relationship between population and urban ecological space generally follows the scaling theory in terms of different types of ecological spaces and ecosystem services. For every 10-fold increase in population size, the total area of ecological space and ecosystem services increase by approximately 4 times. The manifestation of ecological space following the scaling laws is the aggregation behavior of better network connectivity. There is a trade-off between urban ecological space and socioeconomic development, with flow equilibrium reached at a population of 2 million and efficiency equilibrium reached at a population of 1 million. Starting from type I and type II megapolis, urban development gradually tends to stabilize, and there may even be a trend of slow decline in urban development potential. In the absence of ecological space, virtual network space can serve as a substitute for ecological space. The driving factors affect scaling behavior of ecological space, including connectivity of ecological space, spatial heterogeneity of natural conditions, and disturbance of economic and social activities. This research can help city to expand ecological space, promoting the added value of urban ecological assets and keeping the urban development potential within the optimal threshold range continuously.
... In light of the intricate interconnections and dynamics inherent to UWMSs, it is imperative to consider all relevant dimensions simultaneously. Failure to do so may result in an incomplete understanding of their underlying system dynamics and a constrained assessment of their impacts, potential rebound effects, and trade-offs (Cristiano et al., 2020). In order to achieve the objective of this research, the following research question was posed: what are the key methodological tools and trends used to capture simultaneously the social, environmental, and economic performance of UWMSs considering that they are key socio-metabolic processes embedded within ICCs? ...
... Emergy analysis not only reflects changes in green space quality resulting from alterations in the number of urban green spaces but also simplifies subsystem energy flows, bypassing complex metabolic reactions. To advance urban sustainability and resilience, a systematic exploration of urban metabolism is essential particularly from an emergy perspective (Cristiano et al., 2020). In emergy theory, an urban system is a collection of distinct materials generated as a result of the transformation of different energy sources. ...
Prior research has consistently demonstrated that urban economic and social systems adhere to the empirical scaling law. Furthermore, a plethora of evidence, including the scale-free networks of energy metabolism, the allometric growth patterns of species and populations, and the scaling law relationship between exergy and transformity in biosphere systems across various levels, indicates that urban ecosystems exhibit multi-level scaling law characteristics in energy metabolism under self-organization, alongside significant human activity imprints. This study synthesizes these findings to hypothesize that urban ecological components are also aligned with system-level scaling theory within the urban metabolism framework. This encompasses: 1) the existence of multistable coexistence and mutual transformation phenomena, mirroring the dynamic nature of scaling laws; and 2) a nuanced balance between the ecosystem and the socio-economic system, particularly in the realms of spatial competition and output efficiency. The ecosystem scaling theory hypotheses of urban metabolic processes offer a theoretical foundation for identifying ecological security tipping points, which are pivotal in the strategic decision-making for ecological planning and management in the future.
... The authors conclude that systems thinking and energy accounting are essential tools for understanding the complexity of urban systems and guiding urban policy toward sustainable and resilient outcomes. They call for a shift in urban planning to prioritize holistic, integrated approaches that balance technological, cultural, and political dimensions to achieve long-term sustainability [45]. ...
Urbanization is a rapidly accelerating global phenomenon that challenges sustainable development, requiring innovative frameworks for understanding and managing urban complexity. This study explores the application of Complexity Theory in sustainable urban development, framing cities as Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), where dynamic social, economic, environmental, and technological interactions generate emergent behaviors. A systematic literature review was conducted, analyzing 91 studies retrieved from Scopus that explicitly link Complexity Theory to urban sustainability. Key findings reveal trade-offs, such as balancing economic growth with ecological preservation and social equity, while emphasizing the role of self-organization and adaptive governance in enhancing urban resilience. Concrete examples include the application of fractal analysis in urban planning to predict sprawl and optimize infrastructure and the use of system dynamics models to align smart city initiatives with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Wider co-benefits identified include improved public health through integrated green infrastructure and the reinforcement of social cohesion via participatory urban planning. This research concludes that embracing Complexity Theory enables a holistic approach to urban sustainability, fostering adaptable, resilient systems that can better manage uncertainty. This study highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative policy frameworks to navigate the multifaceted challenges of modern urbanization.
... But, like any transition, it will provoke social, environmental, and economic uncertainty, which must be anticipated and accounted for (Burke 2022). Therefore, the third principle characterizing post-growth is the adoption of systems thinking (Cristiano et al. 2020). Systems thinking underpins the SCM discipline (e.g., Lee, Padmanabhan, and Whang 1997;Sterman 1989), but the systems we consider tend to be production systems or supply networks. ...
Supply chain management is grounded on the assumption that endless economic growth is compatible with environmental and social sustainability. Yet scholars from ecological economics question this assumption due to ever increasing evidence showing how hard it is to decouple growth from negative environmental and social externalities. In response, pressure from social movements is mounting, and the agendas of several countries already consider alternatives to growth. Therefore, this article presents a critical thought experiment for the supply chain management discipline: What are the implications of moving from the current endless growth paradigm to a post‐growth paradigm for businesses and their supply chains? Using the umbrella term “post‐growth,” this article identifies three key post‐growth principles—(i) socio‐ecological wellbeing , (ii) selective downscaling , and (iii) systems thinking —and then examines their implications for supply chain management research and practice.
... He describes it as an urban strategy through which the people produce, transform, and appropriate an urban territory. Cristiano (2020) proposes Urbanization, in terms of systems thinking, and emphasizes tracking material flows to attain resilience and sustainability in cities. Hence, urbanization is understood through varied perspectives of land distribution, social aspects, demography, spatial factors and health, etc. ...
Rapid urbanization across the world, driven by economic opportunities has led to profound societal changes. They include increased infrastructure needs, and heightened environmental concerns making them to face challenges of infrastructure, housing and resources. Metropolitan cities hold the highest proportion among the cities with million-plus people. Invariably, similar trends have imposed immense infrastructural strain on many Indian cities, propelling urbanization. It is assumed that in the future, they will perpetuate more urban challenges. Therefore, prioritizing urban planning of metropolitan cities in India is necessary to achieve sustainable urbanization. In this context, this paper offers an examination of the rapid urbanization processes prevalent in Indian metropolitan cities. This research analyzes 58 research papers related to this issue. It examines the post-Independence evolution of urbanization in India, exposing the strategies adopted across various periods. It discusses these developments through five-year plans, smart city initiatives, organizational advancements and policy formulations. The paper presents the significance of metropolitan cities in determining India's trajectory in the forthcoming decades. Thus, it emphasizes the need for urban planners and decision-makers to focus on these cities to surmount urban challenges and attain sustainable urbanization.
El capitalismo global se encuentra en una fase en donde
la reconfiguración de la economía ya no solo se trata del
mercado laboral, la inversión, crisis de producción, viejos y nuevos extractivismos, financierización, localización de actividades productivas en espacios prístinos, sino que su sobrevivencia estará dada por las nuevas formas de crear, conducir y aplicar los flujos de energía a las diferentes actividades que se desarrollan. Este contexto se da a partir de los altos niveles de energía que se han alcanzado en los últimos años y que han llevado a una entropía generalizada en todo el globo. Por lo tanto, los diferentes organismos supranacionales –dígase Banco Mundial, Organización de Naciones Unidas, Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, entre otros- se lanzaron a impulsar las matrices energéticas de todos los países del mundo y con ello reestructurar la hegemonía del capital.
The current narrative about Smart Cities is flawed on two levels. First, it describes cities whose promise of smartness is highly biased. Second, it neglects to account for the systemic nature of the urban metabolism, as well as the role of the support region of the city (in terms of its resource provision). In this contribution, I propose a short review of the mainstream Smart City narrative elements as presented by influential and authoritative sources, pointing out their detachment from the reality and from the sustainability of cities described by systemic thinking.
Scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any catastrophic threat and to “tell it like it is.” On the basis of this obligation and the graphical indicators presented below, we declare, with more than 11,000 scientist signatories from around the world, clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency.
Circular Economy (CE) concepts and tools are getting increasing attention with regard to their implementation in agricultural, urban and industrial sectors towards innovative business models to optimize resource use, process performances and development policies. However, conventional biophysical and economic indicators hardly fit CE characteristics. Life cycle assessment, footprint and economic cost-benefit indicators, do not fully capture the specificity of a closed loop CE framework, characterized by feedbacks and resource use minimization and quality assessment. Commonly used mono-dimensional indicators seem unable to successfully relate the process performance and the use of ecosystem services and natural capital, in that they do not assess the environmental quality and sustainability (renewability, fit to use, recycle potential) of resources and the complexity of interaction between agro/industrial/urban environments and socioeconomic systems, and translate into an incomplete and inadequate picture, far from an effective CE perspective. In this study, Emergy Accounting method (EMA) is used to design an improved approach to CE systemic aspects, focusing on the importance of new indicators capable of capturing both resource generation (upstream), product (downstream) and systems dimensions. This conceptual scheme is built around the case study of the City of Napoli's economy (Campania region, Southern Italy) considering the surrounding agro-industrial area with its smaller urban settlements. In order to design a reasonable and reliable CE framework, a number of already existing and innovative processes is analyzed and discussed, through a bottom-up procedure capable to account for CE development options based on the recovery of locally available and still usable resources (i.e., conversion of waste cooking oil into biodiesel, conversion of slaughterhouse residues to power and chemicals, recovery and conversion of agro-waste residues, amongst others).The result highlighted that EMA was capable to keep track of the improvement generated by the implemented circularity patterns in terms of reduced total emergy of the system. Moreover, EMA indicators suggested that, in any case, the CE business framework should be intended as a transitional strategy towards more feasible paradigms.
The growth of modern societies with their scientific, economic and social achievements was made possible by the cheap availability of fossil fuels. Side effects of fossil energy resources were the development of unsustainable production and consumption patterns, the degradation of natural capital, and the release of airborne, waterborne and solid waste. Consumption and environmental loading are not only related to fuels, but also to other material resources, such as minerals in general and rare earths in particular. The increasing shortage of crucial resources affects and constrains important economic sectors (e.g., electronic sectors, renewable energies, food production), thus placing a limit on further development and wellbeing. Concepts of sustainable economies and communities, with focus on the social dimension of development and also on the ecological and economic aspects at the same time, are gaining the attention of policy makers, managers, and investors, as well as local stakeholders (organisations, small and medium enterprises, individual citizens) and encouraging new development and business models globally referred to as the “circular economy”. The circular economy (CE) is a production and consumption system that is restorative by intention and design. Although there has been a relative decoupling of economic growth from resource use in recent decades, the gains made so far have been eaten up by a combination of economic growth and the rebound effect. There are two questions: (i) why has it been so hard to move from theory(most often from rhetoric) to practice and implementation, and (ii) how is it possible to promote an innovative and effective CE strategy in urban systems where 60% of world population is concentrated. This shift (design, networking, organisation, implementation, community planning) and related monitoring tools constitute the skeletonof the transition that needs to occur within both urban systems and economies. The point we make is that a society without waste is not only desirable, but also possible and necessary. We cannot wait longer and we cannot just accept small adjustments, increased end-of-pipe technologies and the usual interplay of promises and conflicts. The time for a massive and successful effort towards a radical change of lifestyles and production/consumptionpatterns is now, where the term "waste" itself is considered a symptom of societal illness, an indicator of immature economies, poor science and old-fashioned technology.
The COP25 discussions also face a backdrop of uncertain geopolitics and intensifying public pressure. The COP25 discussions also face a backdrop of uncertain geopolitics and intensifying public pressure. People gather for the Global Climate Strike in London, United Kingdom