Smart eco-cities for a green economy: a comparative study of Europe and China

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Philipp Späth
• Subject Area: Political Science ; Asian Studies ; Human Geography ; Economic Policy, Applied Economics
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 258457509

Europe and China both face the challenges of climate change and associated environmental degradation, and of finding ways in which to promote economic transition away from carbon-intensive economic and consumption patterns, and towards a green economy. The city is where these challenges are centred, and where solutions have to be found: cities are both producers of environmental externalities, and the locations where the negative effects of climate change will be felt most acutely. A promising approach focuses on treating new and existing cities as 'experimental areas' where transitions to a green economy can be trialled. Eco-cities and smart cities have been proposed as potential solutions to the need for a green economy: they are seen as 'socio-technical experiments' which are potential drivers for local, national and international environmental socio-economic change and transition. Both China and several European countries are actively engaged in planning and building experimental cities focused on the green economy. Many of these projects combine elements of eco-city planning (focusing on the visible 'hardware' of environmental sustainability: planning, architecture, renewable energy and smart grid technologies, etc.), with 'smart city' planning (focusing is on 'software': information systems, social capital, knowledge transfer, etc.). We propose analysis of what we call the 'smart eco-city', defined as an experimental city which functions as a potential niche where bothenvironmental and economic reforms can be tested and introduced in areas which are both spatially proximate (the surrounding region) and in an international context (through networks of knowledge, technology and policy transfer and learning).The aim of this project is to provide the first systematic comparative analysis of green economy-focused eco-city projects in China and Europe. This will inform the identification of opportunities and pathways for shaping national and collaborative international urban and economic policy responses, engaging the state, the business sector and communities in delivering'smart eco-city' projects that can promote the growth of the green economy.The research addresses key issues: a.) how experimental cities have fared in terms of promoting successful transitions to a green economy in Europe and China since 2000; b.) how to evaluate success in smart eco-city initiatives; c.) what are the main obstacles to successful projects d.) what generalizable lessons can be drawn from successful smart eco-cities, in socio-economic and policy terms; e.) how knowledge can be effectively shared across the context of European and Chinese urban-economic policymaking for smart eco-cities.In order to address these crucial issues our team will carry out international, interdisciplinary multi-method research which will include a total of eight in-depth smart eco-city case studies in China, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and France.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Institution: Cardiff University; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); King's College London; Renmin University of China; Technische Universiteit Delft; Eindhoven University of Technology; The University of Nottingham Ningbo, China; Tsinghua University; University of Plymouth; University of Westminster; Université Toulouse 1 Capitole