Researchers employ many different approaches to study transitions towards more sustainable futures, of which Sustainability Transitions Research and Social Practice Theory are often used. These approaches offer complementary concepts that are helpful to analyse, explain, forecast, and drive sustainability transitions, e.g. heuristics on changing institutions (Sustainability Transitions Research) or dynamics to change behaviour through practice…

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector is in need of a transition towards acircular economy. This article offers an analysis of two cases with a wide variation regarding project dynamics in the Netherlands. Alignments and misalignments were analyzed between practices concerning seven design strategies for circular design based on social practice theory and concepts…

Comprehensive understanding of the merits of bottom-up urban development is lacking, thus hampering and complicating associated collaborative processes. Therefore, and given the assumed relevancies, we mapped the social, environmental and economic values generated by bottom-up developments in two Dutch urban areas, using theory-based evaluation principles. These evaluations raised insights into the values, beneficiaries and path…

Stedelijke vastgoedprojecten en gebiedstransformaties zijn financieel soms lastig realiseerbaar, maar bieden tegelijkertijd kansen voor de maatschappelijke opgaven van verstedelijking. Welke maatschappelijke meerwaarde is van belang voorbij de financiële waarde van vastgoed- en grondexploitatie? Welk breder investeringsperspectief kan worden gehanteerd om voorbij de ‘smalle’ businesscase van project- en gebiedsontwikkeling te kijken? Hoe zorg je voor een…

Experimenterend werken aan kansrijke innovatieve financieringsarrangementen als revolverende fondsen en gebiedsinvesteringszones. De huidige opgaven van gebiedstransformaties zijn onderling zo afhankelijk dat betrokken partijen niet zonder elkaar kunnen, ook wat betreft de financiering. We zoeken daarom naar nieuwe financieringsarrangementen waarbij publieke waarden met privaat rendement worden gecombineerd. Hoewel we moeten oppassen met te hoge verwachtingen, zijn…

Circular economy (CE), the new ‘buzzword’ in urban and regional studies and policy debates, is about shifting from a linear production process towards a circular one in which the generation of waste is minimised, materials circulate in ‘closed loops’, and waste is not considered a burden but rather a resource that brings new economic opportunities….

The emergence of organic planning practices in the Netherlands introduces new, non-conventional, local actors initiating bottom-up urban developments. Dissatisfied with conventional practices and using opportunities during the 2008 financial crisis, these actors aim to create social value, thus challenging prevailing institutions. Intrigued by such actors becoming more present and influential in urban planning and development…

Urban areas account for around 50% of global solid waste generation. In the last decade, the European Union has supported numerous initiatives aiming at reducing waste generation by promoting shifts towards Circular Economy (CE) approaches. Governing this process has become imperative. This article focuses on the results of a governance analysis of six urban regions…

To understand and deal with real urban development problems, urban planners, designers, and managers need to combine and synthesize a variety of academic and professional knowledge. As our urban challenges grow more complex, learning how to do this effectively becomes ever more important. For educators, this means teaching students how to work in interdisciplinary settings,…

Governing climate mitigation is complex, as the recurring gap between policy intentions and actions exhibits. Interventions at the urban scale represent an opportunity to implement energy policy targets. Urban development projects can function as carrier to implement innovative energy solutions as ‘by-product’. To do so, planners must proactively and strategically deploy planning instruments to influence…