Climate change and cities: problem structuring methods and critical perspectives on low-carbon districts
Yearworth, M; Freeman, R
Date: 22 December 2016
Journal
Energy Research and Social Science
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Cities around the world have set climate change mitigation targets, yet actions to implement these
targets have so far proved inadequate. Better methodology is needed to support this impetus for action.
Problem structuring methods (PSMs) enable improvements to be made in wicked problem situations;
they appear to have potential to ...
Cities around the world have set climate change mitigation targets, yet actions to implement these
targets have so far proved inadequate. Better methodology is needed to support this impetus for action.
Problem structuring methods (PSMs) enable improvements to be made in wicked problem situations;
they appear to have potential to improve climate change mitigation actions but they are difficult to carry
out in highly pluralist problem contexts. A case study (STEEP) that applied a PSM to support lowcarbon
urban energy master planning in three cities is presented. The STEEP methodology was effective
in reducing the wickedness of the problem but issues of a lack of clarity on problem ownership and lack
of interessement were seen. A reflective boundary critique study found that there was a mismatch
between power and interest amongst key stakeholders towards the low-carbon vision. Three key issues
identified in the case study were discussed through the lens of critical systems thinking: (i) the need for
new competencies, (ii) dealing with wickedness, and (iii) behavioural complexity and discordant
reference systems. The paper suggests how these issues might be improved through the application of
non-PSM theories which can support the use of PSMs in improving city-level climate change
mitigation.
Management
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
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