Page 31 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2017 publication

Summer 2017 European Energy Innovation 31
• the planning processes,
• the framework conditions,
• the involved actors as well as
• the instruments and tools, and
• possible forms of low-carbon energy systems and their
planning implications
and to come up with proposals for a better integration of
energy and urban planning processes.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL GROUPS AS BACKBONE
All cities initiated a local working group with staff members
from various city departments involved in urban and/or
energy planning and housing. Some groups also include
external stakeholders, e.g. distribution network operators
or developers. These groups supported the analyses of
the governance processes and contribute to their further
development.
Across all cities these working groups underline the value
of interdepartmental exchange and cooperation when
planning the development of urban areas. They also
surfaced a clear need for more knowledge on energy issues
in planning departments and overall created a sound work
basis through debating and learning together.
DEFICITS OF CURRENT GOVERNANCE PRACTICES
The analysis shows that
• energy aspects are generally well addressed at the level
of a building (energy demand, share of renewables) but
largely lacking at the level of housing or business park
developments, quarters or districts;
• qualities requested at early urban planning stages are
often lost in subsequent planning and construction
phases;
• a number of good practices in terms of instruments or
tools for planning exist in the cities, which inspired each replicable for many, also smaller, European cities. Besides
others work when investigating ways forward.
For this analysis the exchanges between the cities – peer
to peer – proved to be extremely valuable. They also
sharpened the understanding of one’s own situation. Across
the cities the analysis showed similarities in the principle
levels and stages of urban planning – from the strategic
planning down to the building regulation plan as well as
in the principle elements of the urban planning processes.
Equally it surfaced a lot of differences, particularly in the
framework for energy and urban planning as well as in
the cities’ land policy. This underlined the importance of
the legal/political context and (planning) cultures and the
importance of understanding those aspects well for coming
up with suitable proposals for upgrading the relevant
planning processes.
LACK OF SUPPORTING FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS
Our discussions why something is possible or not possible
in a city often ended at the fostering or hindering framework
conditions – be it legally, strategically or organisationally.
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COMMUNICATION
For considering energy aspects as part of urban planning
processes, the legal base for urban planning has to include
energy or climate protection objectives as reason for spatial
differentiation, as e.g. in Germany. Alternatively, energy
transitions laws such as in France now demand energy
planning for dense territories and require the integration of
energy planning through new legal acts.
Furthermore, it turned out to be important to have clear
overarching long-term low carbon strategies in place, which
then also guide urban development and planning.
Another factor which was identified as decisive was to have
clearly spelled out responsibilities and resources for energy
planning in the city.
THE WAY TO INTEGRATIVE ENERGY PLANNING
Based on the own analysis and the inputs from the other
cities, in each city priorities for integrating energy and urban
planning were identified and put together – from supporting
framework conditions, necessary actors to proposals for
where and how throughout the urban planning processes
energy aspects could become a part, as e.g. when selling
or renting land, in urban contracts, when controlling
obligations.
JOIN IN
Overall URBAN LEARNING succeeds to be the door opener
for bringing energy planning (back) on the urban/spatial
planning agenda in the involved cities. This is needed in
many European cities and legislation, e.g. in France, starts to
respond. Already during the project, we have established an
“inner circle” of about 15 cities in the involved countries with
whom we team up for in-depth mutual learning on the topic.
Our selection of cities, with differences in climatic, economic
and social conditions, make the results relevant and
many national dissemination activities of the cities, a
final event mid-October 2017 in Vienna will offer ample
opportunities for “urban learning” from the participating
cities and beyond, and to advocate for integrating energy
planning as key instrument towards decarbonisation at
local level. l
Contact details
waltraud.schmid@tinavienna.at
www.urbanlearning.eu
This project has received funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
2020 research and innovation
programme under grant
agreement No 649883.