Urban Climate Politics
Agency and Empowerment

An overview of the forms of agency in urban climate politics, discussing their strengths, limitations, and the power dynamics between them.

Jeroen van der Heijden (Edited by), Harriet Bulkeley (Edited by), Chiara Certomà (Edited by)

9781108730228, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 9 May 2019

256 pages, 1 b/w illus.
24.7 x 17.3 x 1.4 cm, 0.46 kg

Since the 1990s, a burgeoning literature has emerged on the politics and governance of urban climate. It is now evident that urban responses to climate change involve a diverse range of actors as well as forms of agency that cross traditional boundaries, and which have diverse consequences for (dis)empowering different social groups. This book provides an overview of the forms of agency in urban climate politics, discussing the friction and power dynamics between them. Written by renowned scholars, it critically assesses the advantages and limitations of increasing agency in urban climate governance. In doing so, it sheds critical new light on the existing literature, advances the state of knowledge of urban climate governance and discusses ways to accelerate urban climate action. With chapters building on case studies from across the world, it is ideal for scholars and practitioners working in the area of urban climate politics and governance. This is one of a series of publications associated with the Earth System Governance Project. For more publications, see www.cambridge.org/earth-system-governance.

1. Introduction: promises and concerns of the urban century Jeroen van der Heijden, Harriet Bulkeley and Chiara Certomà
2. Unpacking agency in global urban climate governance: city networks as actors, agents, and arenas David J. Gordon
3. Empowerment and disempowerment of urban climate governance initiatives: an exploratory typology of mechanisms James J. Patterson and Nicolien van der Grijp
4. Transnational municipal networks and cities in climate governance: experiments in Brazil Fabiana Barbi and Laura Valente de Macedo
5. Making climates through the city Lauren Rickards
6. Cross-movement alliances as a novel form of agency to increase socially just arrangements in urban climate governance Karsten Schulz and Antje Bruns
7. The politics of data-driven urban climate change mitigation Sara Hughes, Laura Tozer and Sarah Giest
8. Urban planning for sustainability and justice: lessons from urban agriculture François Mancebo and Chiara Certomà
9. Unpacking the black box of urban climate agency: (dis)empowerment and inclusion in local participatory processes Scott Morton Ninomiya and Sarah Burch
10. From public to citizen responsibilities in urban climate adaptation: a thick analysis Caroline J. Uittenbroek, Heleen L. P. Mees, Dries L. T. Hegger and Peter P. J. Driessen
11. Agency and climate governance African cities: lessons from urban agriculture Christopher Gore
12. The effects of transnational municipal networks on urban climate politics in the Global South Fee Stehle, Chris Höhne, Thomas Hickmann and Markus Lederer
13. The politics of urban climate futures: recognition, experimentation, and orchestration Jeroen van der Heijden, Chiara Certomà and Harriet Bulkeley.

Subject Areas: Sustainability [RNU], Social impact of environmental issues [RNT], Climate change [RNPG], Conservation of the environment [RNK], Environment law [LNKJ], Urban economics [KCU], Comparative politics [JPB], Urban communities [JFSG]