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Comprehensive evaluation of the structural characteristics of an urban metabolic system: Model development and a case study of Beijing

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  • Zhang, Yan
  • Liu, Hong
  • Chen, Bin

Abstract

The resource shortages and environmental problems that cities face can be attributed to their increasing metabolic throughflow and their metabolic inefficiency. To support urban ecological management, it is necessary to identify the main metabolic actors responsible for these problems and analyze the characteristics of their metabolic structure. In this paper, we divide a typical urban metabolic system into seven components. Using material-flow analysis, we accounted for the amounts of resources and wastes transferred among the system's components and between the system and its environment, using Beijing from 1998 to 2007 as a case study. We used four indicators (metabolic scale, intensity, efficiency, and impact) to represent the inner structural characteristics of the urban metabolic system and analyzed the system based on the proposed indicators. The results provide scientific support for identifying the key metabolic actors responsible for urban metabolic disorders by accurately characterizing the city's metabolic status.

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  • Zhang, Yan & Liu, Hong & Chen, Bin, 2013. "Comprehensive evaluation of the structural characteristics of an urban metabolic system: Model development and a case study of Beijing," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 106-113.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:252:y:2013:i:c:p:106-113
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.08.017
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zhang, Yan & Yang, Zhifeng & Yu, Xiangyi, 2009. "Evaluation of urban metabolism based on emergy synthesis: A case study for Beijing (China)," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(13), pages 1690-1696.
    2. Zhang, Yan & Yang, Zhifeng & Yu, Xiangyi, 2009. "Ecological network and emergy analysis of urban metabolic systems: Model development, and a case study of four Chinese cities," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(11), pages 1431-1442.
    3. Christopher Kennedy & John Cuddihy & Joshua Engel‐Yan, 2007. "The Changing Metabolism of Cities," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 11(2), pages 43-59, April.
    4. Lee, Chun-Lin & Huang, Shu-Li & Chan, Shih-Liang, 2009. "Synthesis and spatial dynamics of socio-economic metabolism and land use change of Taipei Metropolitan Region," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(21), pages 2940-2959.
    5. Paul H. Brunner, 2007. "Reshaping Urban Metabolism," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 11(2), pages 11-13, April.
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    1. Asterios Papageorgiou & Rajib Sinha & Björn Frostell & Cecilia Sundberg, 2020. "A new physical accounting model for material flows in urban systems with application to the Stockholm Royal Seaport District," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(3), pages 459-472, June.
    2. Li, Yanxian & Wang, Xinjing & Tian, Xin & Zhang, Yan, 2018. "Understanding the mechanism of urban material metabolism with ecological network analysis: An experimental study of Wuxi, China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 367(C), pages 58-67.
    3. Davide Longato & Giulia Lucertini & Michele Dalla Fontana & Francesco Musco, 2019. "Including Urban Metabolism Principles in Decision-Making: A Methodology for Planning Waste and Resource Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, April.
    4. Shogo Eguchi, 2017. "Accounting for resource accumulation in Japanese prefectures: an environmental efficiency analysis," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 6(1), pages 1-22, December.
    5. Zhu, Xueting & Mu, Xianzhong & Hu, Guangwen, 2019. "Ecological network analysis of urban energy metabolic system—A case study of Beijing," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 404(C), pages 36-45.
    6. Meng, Fanxin & Liu, Gengyuan & Liang, Sai & Su, Meirong & Yang, Zhifeng, 2019. "Critical review of the energy-water-carbon nexus in cities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1017-1032.
    7. Giulia Lucertini, 2020. "Circular Cities – Urban Metabolism and Circular Economy as a Planning Approach to Building Resilient Cities and Territories," Briefs, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, April.
    8. Shogo Eguchi, 2017. "Understanding productivity declines of resource accumulation in the prefectures of Japan," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 19(2), pages 337-357, April.

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