Low-carbon promises and realities

Lessons from three socio-technical experiments in Shanghai

Journal article (2018)

Authors

Harry den Hartog Tongji University, OLD Urban Compositions
Ye Xu Fudan University
Linjun Xie The University of Nottingham Ningbo China
Zhong Ping Jiang Fudan University
W.M. de Jong Organisation & Governance - TPM
Research Group
Organisation & Governance (TPM) (TU Delft)
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Published Date

2018

Language

English

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Faculty

Technology, Policy and Management

Department

Multi Actor Systems

Research Group

Organisation & Governance

Abstract

China's ongoing transition to a modern urban-centered economy is accompanied by ambitions of sustained economic growth as well as promises of environmentally sustainable futures for its cities. In this paper we critically assess how these two ideas are combined and translated into realities on the ground by examining three low-carbon development projects in Shanghai: Anting New Town, Dongtan Eco-City, and Hongqiao CBD's low-carbon transportation hub. By mobilizing insights from the academic field of Sustainability Transitions – specifically on expectations, experimentation and innovation journeys – we show how the original plans derailed and why until now there has been limited success in living up to the promises of sustainability. To realize the promises more fully in future projects we identify three broad lessons for the actors involved: they should nurture a set of parallel pathways, foster a more experimentalist mindset, and learn to embrace uncertainty.

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