TY - JOUR
T1 - Positive Energy Districts : The 10 Replicated Solutions in Maia, Reykjavik, Kifissia, Kladno and Lviv
AU - Fatima, Zarrin
AU - Padilla, Marielisa
AU - Kuzmic, Michal
AU - Huovila, Aapo
AU - Schaj, Gretel
AU - Effenberger, Niklas
N1 - Funding Information:
Between 2014–2019, 17 Lighthouse projects were funded under the European Commission Horizon smart city (EC-H2020-SCC) framework program. These projects involved altogether 46 Lighthouse cities that tested near-to-market energy, mobility and ICT technologies at district scale and 71 Fellow Cities that developed replication plans on selected Lighthouse city solutions []. A deeper look at the first projects of 2014 showed that the replication strategy had a rather mechanistic and unidirectional approach, where the Lighthouse cities direct the replication procedure with very little active decision-making by Fellow Cities. However, the projects funded later during this period had a more iterative or dynamic approach by: (1) involving the Fellow Cities since the start [,,,,,,]; and (2) promoting knowledge exchange for Fellow Cities through workshops, thematic webinars, and interaction activities [,,,]. Despite this change, a few factors may be acting as an obstacle for replication on the higher level: (1) the lack of connection between the replicating technology and the local stakeholders’ interest; (2) business-as-usual approach and short term vision []; (3) unique city context; (4) regulations; and (5) the lack of commitment from politicians in realizing urban transformations []. Considering the above, Calzada [] suggests a City-to-City Learning Program, which follows a social innovation perspective that considers the multiple stakeholders in a city (regardless of the city being a Lighthouse or a Fellow City), and also emphasizes how replication could be effectively facilitated through the city network’s multidirectional, radial, dynamic, iterative, and democratic learning process [,,]. This idea is also supported by Bartels [] and Calzada and Cobo [], who claim that social innovation can play an active role in strengthening transformative change and support the learning trajectory for smart cities and their urban governance.
Funding Information:
This research was funded by SPARCS and the APC was waived. SPARCS project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 864242. The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Communities. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2023/2
Y1 - 2023/2
N2 - Cities have an undoubted significant role in climate change mitigation. Several cities across the globe have made commitments to sustainability transitions through green strategies. In the recent past, Europe has witnessed a surge in the development of smart cities and advancement towards creating more sustainable cities. At the moment, the concept of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) further encourages districts and cities to change their business-as-usual ways to be more carbon neutral. This paper looks at the five cities of Maia, Reykjavik, Kifissia, Kladno, and Lviv that are a part of an ongoing Horizon 2020 project. The purpose of the paper was to understand the steps the cities have taken to select the 10 solutions for replication. The information was collected through discussions, interviews and implementation plans developed by each city. It must be highlighted that each city’s circumstances differ in terms of political support, finances, technical expertise, and stakeholders’ interest, and this applies to all world cities when discussing the implementation of new efficient solutions. Cities across Europe and beyond may find themselves in a similar situation, and therefore, this paper also provides a story of the five Fellow Cities as they transition towards PEDs.
AB - Cities have an undoubted significant role in climate change mitigation. Several cities across the globe have made commitments to sustainability transitions through green strategies. In the recent past, Europe has witnessed a surge in the development of smart cities and advancement towards creating more sustainable cities. At the moment, the concept of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) further encourages districts and cities to change their business-as-usual ways to be more carbon neutral. This paper looks at the five cities of Maia, Reykjavik, Kifissia, Kladno, and Lviv that are a part of an ongoing Horizon 2020 project. The purpose of the paper was to understand the steps the cities have taken to select the 10 solutions for replication. The information was collected through discussions, interviews and implementation plans developed by each city. It must be highlighted that each city’s circumstances differ in terms of political support, finances, technical expertise, and stakeholders’ interest, and this applies to all world cities when discussing the implementation of new efficient solutions. Cities across Europe and beyond may find themselves in a similar situation, and therefore, this paper also provides a story of the five Fellow Cities as they transition towards PEDs.
KW - cities
KW - energy
KW - fellow
KW - mobility
KW - replication
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85148741814&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/smartcities6010001
DO - 10.3390/smartcities6010001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85148741814
SN - 2624-6511
VL - 6
SP - 1
EP - 18
JO - Smart cities
JF - Smart cities
IS - 1
ER -
