Rural–Urban Metabolism: A Methodological Approach for Carbon-Positive and Circular Territories

Cities are responsible for about 75% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. Various materials and energy sources, which are mostly produced by the rural areas rather than the cities, are consumed by the cities, and their waste is released back into the rural areas, thereby causing evident environme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSustainability Vol. 14; no. 21; p. 13964
Main Authors Pianegonda, Angelica, Favargiotti, Sara, Ciolli, Marco
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.11.2022
Subjects
Air pollution
Biodiversity
Cities
Climate change
Consumption
Data collection
Decision making
Ecosystems
Emissions
Energy sources
Environmental degradation
Food
Greenhouse gases
Metabolism
Natural resources
Physiological aspects
Rural areas
Rural environments
Sustainability
Sustainable urban development
Urban areas
Urban environments
Urban planning
Urban policy
United Kingdom
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Summary:Cities are responsible for about 75% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. Various materials and energy sources, which are mostly produced by the rural areas rather than the cities, are consumed by the cities, and their waste is released back into the rural areas, thereby causing evident environmental damages. The Rural–Urban Metabolism approach can offer a comprehensive tool to understand the flux of resources that cross the urban environments and plan for more sustainable cities. Considering the strength of the relationship between the urban and rural areas, this paper offers a new perspective regarding the Rural–Urban Metabolism and its application in the Autonomous Province of Trento is discussed. The methodological approach consists of four main steps: data collection and management to support strategic territorial/urban plans; data assessment to critically evaluate the existing context; data mapping to visualize the data and territorial dynamics; and finally, the definition of the strategic and integrated development plan and actions. The Rural–Urban Metabolism proved to be a strategic approach for urban planning and design to monitor the flow of it, assess the impacts of it and promote more sustainable and circular urban policies.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su142113964