Urbani izziv Volume 28, No. 1, June 2017
: 107-121
(Articles)
UDK: 711.581: 502.131.1(4)
doi: 10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2017-28-01-003
Author
Primož MEDVED
Ljubljana, Slovenia
primozmedved@yahoo.com
Title
Leading sustainable neighbourhoods in Europe: Exploring the key principles and processes
Abstract
Local projects involving sustainable urban transformation are increasingly prominent in cities and towns, and are often referred to as sustainable neighbourhoods. These initiatives have been described as experiments in urban sustainability and could provide concrete answers to many challenges facing cities and society. This article investigates the design and development of two leading examples of sustainable neighbourhoods that used different implementation strategies: a top-down development in Western Harbour (Swed. V.stra Hamnen, Malm.) and a bottom-up (participatory) approach in Vauban (Freiburg). The article investigates how the initial implementation approach in sustainable urban redevelopment influenced and conditioned the urban design, social sustainability and local governance of the neighbourhoods. The research also focuses on how Vauban and Western Harbour have influenced and disseminated sustainable urban solutions to other urban contexts.
Key Words
sustainable neighbourhoods, sustainable urban development, new urbanism principles, urban experimentation processes, eco labs, Vauban, Western Harbour