From Problems to Potentials - The Urban Energy Transition of Gruž, Dubrovnik

Abstract

In the strife for a carbon-neutral society, making cities carbon-neutral is the greatest challenge of the coming decades. In the EU project City-zen, academic partners collaborate to develop an urban energy transition method, which helps cities to make the energy transition to renewables. As part of the project, so-called Roadshows are organised in cities that do not form part of the project but that have expressed the desire to become carbon neutral in due time. Dubrovnik was one of those cities, and in November 2016 a City-zen Roadshow workshop was held here, preceded by a SWAT Studio student workshop in October.
During these events the characteristics of Dubrovnik, the district of Gruž in particular, were systematically analysed, leading to good insight into the current problems and potentials of the city. In close collaboration with local stakeholders, the team came up with a proposal for interventions that help to make Gruž, and in its wake the whole city of Dubrovnik, net zero energy and zero carbon. The vision presented to authorities of the city encompassed a pathway towards an attainable sustainable future.
This paper presents the roadshow method, the analysis of the city of Dubrovnik, proposed interventions and the impact, as calculated via carbon accounting.