IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i9p2966-d164864.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Transferring Sustainability Solutions across Contexts through City–University Partnerships

Author

Listed:
  • Lauren Withycombe Keeler

    (School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
    Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany)

  • Fletcher D. Beaudoin

    (Institute for Sustainable Solutions, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, USA)

  • Amy M. Lerner

    (Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, CDMX, México)

  • Beatrice John

    (Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany)

  • Richard Beecroft

    (Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany
    Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany)

  • Kaidi Tamm

    (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany)

  • Arnim Wiek

    (Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany
    School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Daniel J. Lang

    (Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany)

Abstract

The urgency of climate change and other sustainability challenges makes transferring and scaling solutions between cities a necessity. However, solutions are deeply contextual. To accelerate solution efforts, there is a need to understand how context shapes the development of solutions. Universities are well positioned to work with cities on transferring solutions from and to other cities. This paper analyses five case studies of city–university partnerships in three countries on transferring solutions. Our analysis suggests that understanding the interest, the action on sustainability, and the individual and collective sustainability competences on the part of the city administration and the university can help facilitate the transfer of sustainability solutions across contexts. We conclude that the nature of the city–university partnership is essential to solution transfer and that new and existing networks can be used to accelerate progress on the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Lauren Withycombe Keeler & Fletcher D. Beaudoin & Amy M. Lerner & Beatrice John & Richard Beecroft & Kaidi Tamm & Arnim Wiek & Daniel J. Lang, 2018. "Transferring Sustainability Solutions across Contexts through City–University Partnerships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-17, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:2966-:d:164864
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/9/2966/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/9/2966/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Annunziata Savoia & Bénédicte Lefebvre & Glen Millot & Bertrand Bocquet, 2017. "The Science Shop Concept and its Implementation in a French University," Journal of Innovation Economics, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(1), pages 97-117.
    2. James Evans & Andrew Karvonen, 2014. "‘Give Me a Laboratory and I Will Lower Your Carbon Footprint!’ — Urban Laboratories and the Governance of Low-Carbon Futures," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(2), pages 413-430, March.
    3. Gregory Trencher & Masaru Yarime & Kes B. McCormick & Christopher N. H. Doll & Steven B. Kraines, 2014. "Beyond the third mission: Exploring the emerging university function of co-creation for sustainability," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 41(2), pages 151-179.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Göran Finnveden & Julie Newman & Leendert A. Verhoef, 2019. "Sustainable Development and Higher Education: Acting with a Purpose," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-4, July.
    2. Richard Beecroft, 2018. "Embedding Higher Education into a Real-World Lab: A Process-Oriented Analysis of Six Transdisciplinary Project Courses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, October.
    3. Kristine Kern & Janne Irmisch & Colette Odermatt & Wolfgang Haupt & Ingrid Kissling-Näf, 2021. "Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Development, and Climate Policy: Comparing the UNESCO World Heritage Cities of Potsdam and Bern," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Haupt, Wolfgang & Eckersley, Peter & Kern, Kristine, 2021. "Transfer und Skalierung von lokaler Klimapolitik: Konzeptionelle Ansätze, Voraussetzungen und Potenziale," IRS Dialog 1/2021, Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS).
    5. Kern, Kristine & Irmisch, Janne & Odermatt, Colette & Haupt, Wolfgang & Kissling-Näf, Ingrid, 2021. "Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Development, and Climate Policy: Comparing the UNESCO World Heritage Cities of Potsdam and Bern," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 13(16).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schäpke, Niko & Stelzer, Franziska & Bergmann, Matthias & Singer-Brodowski, Mandy & Wanner, Matthias & Caniglia, Guido & Lang, Daniel J., 2017. "Reallabore im Kontext transformativer Forschung: Ansatzpunkte zur Konzeption und Einbettung in den internationalen Forschungsstand," EconStor Preprints 168596, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    2. Gregory Trencher & Masafumi Nagao & Chiahsin Chen & Kentaro Ichiki & Tobai Sadayoshi & Mariko Kinai & Mio Kamitani & Shojiro Nakamura & Aiko Yamauchi & Masaru Yarime, 2017. "Implementing Sustainability Co-Creation between Universities and Society: A Typology-Based Understanding," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-28, April.
    3. Gesa Pflitsch & Verena Radinger-Peer, 2018. "Developing Boundary-Spanning Capacity for Regional Sustainability Transitions—A Comparative Case Study of the Universities of Augsburg (Germany) and Linz (Austria)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-26, March.
    4. Anthony McLean & Harriet Bulkeley & Mike Crang, 2016. "Negotiating the urban smart grid: Socio-technical experimentation in the city of Austin," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(15), pages 3246-3263, November.
    5. Quitzow, Leslie & Rohde, Friederike, 2022. "Imagining the smart city through smart grids? Urban energy futures between technological experimentation and the imagined low-carbon city," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 59(2), pages 341-359.
    6. Taheri, Mozhdeh & van Geenhuizen, Marina, 2016. "Teams' boundary-spanning capacity at university: Performance of technology projects in commercialization," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 31-43.
    7. Anca Draghici & Larisa Ivascu & Adrian Mateescu & George Draghici, 2017. "A Proposed Model for Measuring Performance of the University-Industry Collaboration in Open Innovation," International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, International School for Social and Business Studies, Celje, Slovenia, vol. 6(1), pages 53-76.
    8. Mara Bauer & Sebastian Niedlich & Marco Rieckmann & Inka Bormann & Larissa Jaeger, 2020. "Interdependencies of Culture and Functions of Sustainability Governance at Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, April.
    9. Emilio Abad-Segura & Mariana-Daniela González-Zamar & Juan C. Infante-Moro & Germán Ruipérez García, 2020. "Sustainable Management of Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Global Research Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-24, March.
    10. Lorenzo Compagnucci & Francesca Spigarelli & Paolo Passarini & Concetta Ferrara & Chiara Aleffi & Sabrina Tomasi, 2018. "Promotion of local development and innovation by a social sciences and humanities based university: the case of the University of Macerata," AGRICOLTURA ISTITUZIONI MERCATI, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(2), pages 77-107.
    11. Benjamin Nölting & Heike Molitor & Julian Reimann & Jan-Hendrik Skroblin & Nadine Dembski, 2020. "Transfer for Sustainable Development at Higher Education Institutions—Untapped Potential for Education for Sustainable Development and for Societal Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, April.
    12. Aidan H While & Simon Marvin & Mateja Kovacic, 2021. "Urban robotic experimentation: San Francisco, Tokyo and Dubai," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(4), pages 769-786, March.
    13. De Silva, Muthu & Gokhberg, Leonid & Meissner, Dirk & Russo, Margherita, 2021. "Addressing societal challenges through the simultaneous generation of social and business values: A conceptual framework for science-based co-creation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    14. Chad Stephen Boda, 2018. "Community as a Key Word: A Heuristic for Action-Oriented Sustainability Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
    15. Lorenzo Compagnucci & Alessio Cavicchi & Francesca Spigarelli & Lorenza Natali, 2018. "A multi-stakeholder attempt to address food waste: The case of Wellfood Action EU project," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 20(3), pages 503-528.
    16. Trencher, Gregory, 2019. "Towards the smart city 2.0: Empirical evidence of using smartness as a tool for tackling social challenges," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 117-128.
    17. Natalia Aversano & Ferdinando Di Carlo & Giuseppe Sannino & Paolo Tartaglia Polcini & Rosa Lombardi, 2020. "Corporate social responsibility, stakeholder engagement, and universities: New evidence from the Italian scenario," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1892-1899, July.
    18. Mehtab Alam & Fu-Ren Lin, 2022. "Internalizing Sustainability into Research Practices of Higher Education Institutions: Case of a Research University in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-30, August.
    19. Thomas J. Lampoltshammer & Valerie Albrecht & Corinna Raith, 2021. "Teaching Digital Sustainability in Higher Education from a Transdisciplinary Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, October.
    20. Daniela Bragoli & Flavia Cortelezzi & Massimiliano Rigon, 2023. "Firms' innovation and university cooperation. New evidence from a survey of Italian firms," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1400, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:2966-:d:164864. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.