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

Roberta Capello is full professor of regional economics at Politecnico di Milano and president of the Regional Science Association International. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics obtained at the Free University of Amsterdam in 1993. Ugo Fratesi is associate professor of regional and urban economics at thePolitecnico di Milano since December, 2010. He is member of the editorial boardand book review editor of the Italian Journal of Regional Science since 2008. Heis treasurer and member of the Council of the Italian Section of the RegionalScience Association International (AISRe). He is author of two books and severalpapers published in refereed journals in the field of regional economics, especiallyon the themes of regional growth, disparities, and policy. Laura Resmini is associate professor of Economic policy at the University of Valle d'Aosta, senior researcher at ISLA, Centre for Latin American and Transition Country Studies at Bocconi University (Milan).

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.