Abstract
Recent years have seen a considerable broadening of the ambitions in
urban sustainability policy-making. With its Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG)11 Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable, the 2030 Agenda stresses the critical role of cities in achieving
sustainable development. In the context of SDG 17 on partnerships,
emphasis is also placed on the role of researchers and other scientific
actors as change agents in the sustainability transformation. Against this
backdrop, this article sheds light on different pathways through which
science can contribute to urban sustainability. In particular, we discern
four forms of science-policy-society interactions as key vectors:
1. sharing knowledge and providing scientific input to urban sustainability
policy-making; 2. implementing transformative research projects;
3. contributing to local capacity building; and 4. self-governing towards
sustainability. The pathways of influence are illustrated with empirical
examples, and their interlinkages and limitations are discussed.
We contend that there are numerous opportunities for actors from
the field of sustainability science to engage with political and societal
actors to enhance sustainable development at the local level.
urban sustainability policy-making. With its Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG)11 Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable, the 2030 Agenda stresses the critical role of cities in achieving
sustainable development. In the context of SDG 17 on partnerships,
emphasis is also placed on the role of researchers and other scientific
actors as change agents in the sustainability transformation. Against this
backdrop, this article sheds light on different pathways through which
science can contribute to urban sustainability. In particular, we discern
four forms of science-policy-society interactions as key vectors:
1. sharing knowledge and providing scientific input to urban sustainability
policy-making; 2. implementing transformative research projects;
3. contributing to local capacity building; and 4. self-governing towards
sustainability. The pathways of influence are illustrated with empirical
examples, and their interlinkages and limitations are discussed.
We contend that there are numerous opportunities for actors from
the field of sustainability science to engage with political and societal
actors to enhance sustainable development at the local level.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 112-118(7) |
| Journal | GAIA |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- SDG 11
- cities
- science-policy interactions
- sustainable development
- urban sustainability