1st Edition

Self-Sufficiency and Sustainable Cities and Regions Planning for Sustainable, Circular and Carbon-Neutral Development

Edited By Eduardo Medeiros Copyright 2025
    196 Pages 16 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    The concept of Self-Sufficiency involves the notion of sustainable, circular, and carbon-neutral cities. This book examines how urban planning can lead to greater self-sufficiency.

    It sheds light on how Urban and Regional Circular and Self-Sufficiency development can effectively contribute towards the ultimate goals of the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030 and the European Union (EU) Green Deal. It embraces not only the scientific fields of regional and urban studies but also addresses environmental sustainability-related and regional resilience aspects, such as renewable energy production, sustainable mobility, and the circular economy. The book offers a full toolkit of knowledge on how to effectively implement planning approaches for circular and self-sufficiency development at both urban and regional levels. It begins by presenting a theoretical framework and debate on urban and regional planning approaches that can effectively make cities and regions circular and self-sufficient in certain development domains, such as producing intra-city electric energy, sustainable mobility, and promoting a circular economy. Further, it advances a range of policy development proposals aiming at providing a comprehensive introduction to contemporary thinking about how cities and regions can design innovative planning and governance processes and, where appropriate, build capacity to implement systemic and integrated climate-neutral policies, building on existing place-based territorial capital and experiences developed by local and regional networks. The chapters are written by established authors in their respective domains.

    The book will thoroughly prepare students and provide knowledge to academics, researchers, and policymakers in the fields of urban and regional planning/development and studies, environmental sustainability, regional resilience, human geography, economic development, and public/EU/UN policies.

    Introduction Part I: Public Policies towards Urban and Regional Self-Sufficiency 1. Transforming EU Cohesion Policy into a Territorial Self-Sufficiency Policy 2. Urban sustainable development via Self-Sufficiency planning approaches. A theoretical discussion 3. Just Transition Governance via self-sufficiency regional development Part II: Urban Planning for Self-Sufficient Cities 4. Intra-city renewable energy production 5. Urban stewardship and net zero: The case of the London Landed Estates 6. Intra-city clean smart and sustainable mobility Part III: Regional Planning for Self-Sufficient Cities 7. Solutions to achieve Electricity Self-sufficiency in Regional Planning: comparing São Paulo and Ceará’s Brazilian States 8. Promoting Local Autonomy through the Circular Economy: Rethinking Regional Development 9. Clean smart and sustainable regional mobility 10. Conclusion

    Biography

    Eduardo Medeiros a Geography Professor, an Integrated Research Fellow in Setúbal Polytechnic Institute - RESILIENCE – Centre for Regional Resilience and Sustainability and an Associated Research Fellow in DINÂMIA'CET-IUL, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa.