The aim of this book is to highlight the great potential of decentralized (i.e. local or urban) energy policies in achieving environmentally-benign developments for modern cities. Urban sustainability is placed in the context of the debate on global sustainable development. A wide array of policy initiatives is discussed and evaluated, ranging from market-based energy policies to technological innovation policies for the energy sector. A theoretical framework for technology adoption processes is developed and empirically tested. The main question addressed is: which are the critical success factors for successful urban energy policies? This question is also dealt with in a meta-analytic context by assessing and comparing the performance of energy policies in various European cities, with a particular view to renewable energy.

Autorentext
Peter Nijkamp is Professor in Regional and Urban Economics and in Economic Geography at the VU University, Amsterdam. His main research interests cover quantitative plan evaluation, regional and urban modelling, multicriteria analysis, transport systems analysis, mathematical systems modelling, technological innovation, entrepreneurship, environmental and resource management, and sustainable development. In the past years he has focussed his research in particular on new quantitative methods for policy analysis, as well as on spatial-behavioural analysis of economic agents. He has a broad expertise in the area of public policy, services planning, infrastructure management and environmental protection. In all these fields he has published many books and numerous articles.
In 1996, he was awarded the most prestigious scientific prize in the Netherlands, the Spinoza award.

Inhalt
A: The Sustainable City.- 1 Concept of a Sustainable City.- 2 Institutional Regimes for Sustainable Urban Development.- 3 Methodological Framework for Urban Energy Policy Analysis.- B: Urban Sustainability and Technology Adoption.- 4 Key Issues in the Adoption of Renewable Energy Technologies.- 5 Irreversibilities and Indivisibilities of Renewable Energy Adoption Processes in a Monopolistic Market.- 6 Indivisibilities and Irreversibilities of Renewable Energy Adoption Processes: National Competition vs. Local Monopolistic Markets.- 7 Indivisibilities and Irreversibilities in Urban Renewable Energy Strategies: a Comparative Empirical Analysis.- C: Comparative Analysis of European Sustainable City Opportunities.- 8 Success Factors and Barriers of Urban Energy Policies: a Qualitative Analysis.- 9 A Comparative Empirical Analysis of Urban Energy Policies: a Meta-Analytic Approach.- 10 Success Factors and Barriers of Urban Energy Policies: Interdependencies among Different Critical Factors.- D: Conclusions: Policy Recommendations and Guidelines.- 11 Policy Recommendations and Guidelines for Renewable Energy Technologies in Cities.- References.