The “Sustainable” in smart cities: ignoring the importance of urban ecosystems

DECISION - Tập 44 - Trang 103-120 - 2017
Seema Mundoli1, Hita Unnikrishnan1,2,3, Harini Nagendra1
1Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, India
2Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bengaluru, India
3Manipal University, Manipal, Udupi, India

Tóm tắt

This article argues that the smart city model proposed for an urbanising India ignores key elements of environmental sustainability. Urban green spaces in cities are common pool resources (CPRs) or urban commons that provide provisioning, supporting, regulating and cultural ecosystem services. However, the smart cities model disregards the provisioning services of urban CPRs that are critical for livelihoods and subsistence of urban marginalised groups. By prioritising certain uses, such as recreational, over others the model results in exclusion of urban poor from the commons. The paper highlights the multiple uses of urban commons, with emphasis on the provisioning services that support lives and livelihoods of urban residents. Alienation from CPRs, both by denying physical access and by erosion of cultural links, is also highlighted as a major concern. We urge a systematic reconceptualisation of urban sustainability, and towards a multi-faceted use-value of urban ecosystems, to develop both ecologically and socio-culturally smart cities.

Tài liệu tham khảo

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