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Cities in Sustainability Transitions: Comparing Helsinki and Istanbul

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  • Anna Kuokkanen

    (School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Saimaankatu 11, 15140 Lahti, Finland)

  • Mahir Yazar

    (Institute of Environmental Sciences, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Bebek/Istanbul, Turkey)

Abstract

Systemic sustainability transitions are manifested as the needed scope to meet sustainability challenges at the local and global scales. While sustainability transitions are ubiquitous, each transition is nested in a specific spatial context. Especially, due to accelerating urbanization, cities are increasingly important agents, but they are also understudied geographical loci of change. Urban transitions are interesting because they operate at both the national and global scales, concentrating people, wealth, and resources. They have both regime and niche elements, as they act as an incubation space for novel experiments, ideas, and alternative social movements. Thus, this paper aims to improve understanding of the geographical context and spatial scales from a multilevel perspective and develop a framework for analytic comparison. Furthermore, the paper draws insights from two empirical cases, namely the cities of Helsinki and Istanbul. Consequently, opportunities and challenges for instigating context-specific sustainability transitions can be identified.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Kuokkanen & Mahir Yazar, 2018. "Cities in Sustainability Transitions: Comparing Helsinki and Istanbul," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-18, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:5:p:1421-:d:144452
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    2. Thomas F. Thornton & Diana Mangalagiu & Yuge Ma & Jing Lan & Mahir Yazar & Ali Kerem Saysel & Abdel Maoula Chaar, 2020. "Cultural models of and for urban sustainability: assessing beliefs about Green-Win," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 160(4), pages 521-537, June.
    3. Ram, Manish & Gulagi, Ashish & Aghahosseini, Arman & Bogdanov, Dmitrii & Breyer, Christian, 2022. "Energy transition in megacities towards 100% renewable energy: A case for Delhi," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 578-589.
    4. Mahir Yazar & Dina Hestad & Diana Mangalagiu & Ali Kerem Saysel & Yuge Ma & Thomas F. Thornton, 2020. "From urban sustainability transformations to green gentrification: urban renewal in Gaziosmanpaşa, Istanbul," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 160(4), pages 637-653, June.
    5. Mahir Yazar & Dina Hestad & Diana Mangalagiu & Yuge Ma & Thomas F Thornton & Ali Kerem Saysel & Dajian Zhu, 2020. "Enabling environments for regime destabilization towards sustainable urban transitions in megacities: comparing Shanghai and Istanbul," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 160(4), pages 727-752, June.

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