Urban energy landscapes

摘要

Urban development and energy transitions are two of the most preeminent challenges of our time. Traditionally, studies and policy about one and the other have evolved independently, with research on low carbon transitions focused on socio-technical changes and no reference to spatial, historical and political dynamics in the city. However, as originally Owens assessed, there is a close (two-way) interrelation between urban morphology and energy systems (Owens 1986), and the concept of Urban Energy Landscapes helps bridging this gap by reflecting the spatial organization of energy services regarding both how people use them and how they are provided. In her book Urban Energy Landscapes, Castan Broto advocates for the importance of focusing on those routine practices that manifest how everyday life is organized around energy, in order to understand the underpinning relationship between citizens and energy systems, as well as to draw attention to underlying issues of social inequities, power interests and lock-in mechanisms that currently affect urban energy transitions.