The Changing Metabolism of Cities

Kennedy, Christopher J.; Cuddihy, John; Engel-Yan, Joshua

doi:10.1162/jiec.0.1107

Cited by 226 publications

(342 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Hypoxia events form a growing global problem since the late 1950s [Rabalais et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 2010]. N and P accumulation in urban soils and groundwater form an additional problem [Kennedy et al, 2007;Li et al, 2012;Qiao et al, 2011].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring global nitrogen and phosphorus flows in urban wastes during the twentieth century

Morée

Beusen

Bouwman

et al. 2013

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

161

113

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[1] This paper presents a global model-based country-scale quantification of urban N and P mass flows from humans, animals, and industries and their waste N and P discharges to surface water and urban waste recycling in agriculture. Agricultural recycling was practiced commonly in early twentieth century Europe, Asia, and North America. During the twentieth century, global urban discharge to surface water increased~3.5-fold to 7.7 Tg yr -1 for N and~4.5-fold to 1.0 Tg yr -1 for P; the major part of this increase occurred between 1950 and 2000. Between 1900 and~1940, industrial N and P flows dominated global surface water N and P loadings from urban areas; since~1940, human wastes are the major source of urban nutrient discharge to both surface water and agricultural recycling. During the period 1900-2000, total global recycling of urban nutrients in agriculture increased from 0.4 to 0.6 Tg N yr -1 and from 0.07 to 0.08 Tg P yr -1. A large number of factors (the major ones related to food consumption, urban population, sewer connection, and industrial emissions) contribute to the uncertainty of À18% to +42% for N and À21% to +45% for P around the calculated surface water loading estimate for 2000.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring global nitrogen and phosphorus flows in urban wastes during the twentieth century

Morée

Beusen

Bouwman

et al. 2013

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

161

113

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“…According to our results, emissions of pollutants in vehicle exhaust (mainly carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxide) will increase by 139.5%. Greenhouse gases, CO 2 in particular, are a further form of air pollutant of concern for global sustainability (Kennedy et al 2007). Therefore, investigation of the potentials for reducing CO 2 emissions in Suzhou has significant implications for urban sustainability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Metabolism in China Achieving Dematerialization and Decarbonization in Suzhou

Liang

Zhang

2011

Journal of Industrial Ecology

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Urban metabolism is a critical component of urban sustainability. On the basis of the driving force−pressure−state−response (DPSR) model and using material flow analysis, this article proposes a framework for sustainable urban management and policy assessment. A case study city in China, Suzhou, illustrates this framework. The results show that resource consumption (excluding water), water consumption, and waste generation (excluding carbon dioxide) in Suzhou after implementation of proposed policies will be 14% lower than 2005 levels, 4.5% higher, and 28.9% higher, respectively, in 2015. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in Suzhou will increase by 71.0% in 2015 over 2005 levels, whereas carbon intensity (CO 2 emissions per unit of gross domestic product) will decrease by 44.9%. Future pollution control in Suzhou should pay more attention to pollution from vehicles. In addition, goals for relative dematerialization of energy and decarbonization in Suzhou will be achieved before absolute ones are. In the short term, the urban metabolism of Suzhou in 2015 may meet corresponding urban objectives. In the longer term, however, reducing the city's resource demand and waste generation will pose challenges for the sustainability of Suzhou.

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“…However, these efforts do not address the economic growth, institutional settings, cultural values, and infrastructure that condition carbon emission through differences in energy and land use; thus, these studies have been primarily diagnostic. Engineers and industrial ecologists have developed detailed models of the flows of materials and energy that power transportation, buildings, water, waste, electricity, and other elements of the built environment [Kennedy et al, 2007], but tend to examine these sectors in isolation with limited attention to interactions within and between infrastructures and ecosystems, or atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic carbon pools . Social scientists have developed many limited perspectives that examine the demographic, economic, political, Earth's Future…”

Section: Why Urbanization Urban Areas and Carbon?mentioning

confidence: 99%

A critical knowledge pathway to low‐carbon, sustainable futures: Integrated understanding of urbanization, urban areas, and carbon

et al. 2014

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Independent lines of research on urbanization, urban areas, and carbon have advanced our understanding of some of the processes through which energy and land uses affect carbon. This synthesis integrates some of these diverse viewpoints as a first step toward a coproduced, integrated framework for understanding urbanization, urban areas, and their relationships to carbon. It suggests the need for approaches that complement and combine the plethora of existing insights into interdisciplinary explorations of how different urbanization processes, and socio-ecological and technological components of urban areas, affect the spatial and temporal patterns of carbon emissions, differentially over time and within and across cities. It also calls for a more holistic approach to examining the carbon implications of urbanization and urban areas, based not only on demographics or income but also on other interconnected features of urban development pathways such as urban form, economic function, economic-growth policies, and other governance arrangements. It points to a wide array of uncertainties around the urbanization processes, their interactions with urban socio-institutional and built environment systems, and how these impact the exchange of carbon flows within and outside urban areas. We must also understand in turn how carbon feedbacks, including carbon impacts and potential impacts of climate change, can affect urbanization processes. Finally, the paper explores options, barriers, and limits to transitioning cities to low-carbon trajectories, and suggests the development of an end-to-end, coproduced and integrated scientific understanding that can more effectively inform the navigation of transitional journeys and the avoidance of obstacles along the way. Why Urbanization, Urban Areas, and Carbon?In recent years, the relationships between urbanization, urban areas, and the carbon cycle have generated increased interest in research and policy circles for a variety of reasons. We have urbanized our planet to an unprecedented level. The concentrations of infrastructure, economic and social activities, and populations in cities create growing demands for fossil fuels and carbon-intensive materials to build and power domestic services, commercial buildings, industrial processes, telecommunications systems, water COMMENTARY 10.1002/2014EF000258Special Section: Urbanization, carbon cycle, and climate change Key Points:• We need integrated, coproduced approaches to urbanization, urban areas, and carbon • Urbanization uncertainties are of similar magnitude to carbon uncertainties • Lock-ins in urbanization, cities, and carbon constrain low-carbon transitions provision, waste production, travel, and a seemingly endless array of other uses. By 2050, the global urban population is expected to increase from 3.6 billion to over 6 billion, mainly in low-and middle-income countries [United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2010]. With urban extent forecast to triple between 2000 and 2030, more urban land e...

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The Changing Metabolism of Cities

Cited by 226 publications

References 12 publications

Exploring global nitrogen and phosphorus flows in urban wastes during the twentieth century

Exploring global nitrogen and phosphorus flows in urban wastes during the twentieth century

Urban Metabolism in China Achieving Dematerialization and Decarbonization in Suzhou

A critical knowledge pathway to low‐carbon, sustainable futures: Integrated understanding of urbanization, urban areas, and carbon

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