Voluntary Planning and City Networks: A Systematic Bibliometric Review Addressing Current Issues for Sustainable and Climate-Responsive Planning
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methodological Approach
2.1. Literature Review on Voluntary Planning
2.2. Assessment of Selected City Networks
3. Results
3.1. Results from Bibliometric Analysis
3.2. City Networks: An Overview
4. Discussion
4.1. Evidence from the Bibliometric Analysis
4.2. Evidence from the City Networks Overview
5. Conclusions
- Better orienting the decisions and initiatives taken on by the municipalities;
- Better evaluating the interventions conducted, improving the interventions in accordance with the local needs towards sustainable development;
- Better defining the contribution to the climate and energy challenge of the “small” to the “major” municipalities.
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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City Network | Establishment | City Population Size | No. Signatories (as at 2023) | Targets | Network of Networks | Membership Fee Rules |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) | 1913 | All population sizes | Over 240,000 towns, cities, regions, and metropolises and over 175 associations of local and regional governments | Representing interests of local and regional governments worldwide. Advocating for the localization of SDGs and promoting the role of local governments in addressing global challenges such as climate change, urbanization, and sustainable development. | Association of Netherlands Municipalities, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Global Covenant of Mayors, ICLEI | Membership fees are based on a calculation that takes into account the number of inhabitants represented by the member and the state of the country’s economic development. |
Eurocities | 1986 | Over 250,000 Inhabitants | 208 | Eurocities represents the voice of cities at the EU level to bring about change on the ground. It shares and facilitates the exchange of knowledge, experience, and good practices between cities to scale up urban solutions. | TheMayor.EU—the European Portal for Cities and Citizens, CIVITAS, UCLG | Both full and associate members of the Association will be required to pay an annual subscription fee. A city who has not paid its subscription fee will automatically drop out of the members list. The amount of this fee will be proposed by the Executive Committee and formally approved by the Annual General meeting. |
Climate Alliance | 1991 | All population sizes | 1969 | Reduction in CO2 emissions by ten percent every five years (equivalent to a half of per capita emissions by 2030 as compared to 1990); reduction in emissions to 2.5 tons of CO2 equivalents per person via energy saving, energy efficiency, and the use of renewable energy, promoting climate justice in partnership with indigenous peoples by supporting their initiatives, raising awareness, and abstaining from the use of unsustainably managed tropical timber. | Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, European Committee of the Regions | Fees are moderate and structured so that they are feasible even for the most economically strained municipalities. Local authorities pay just EUR 0.0077 per resident per year. Annual fees are capped at a maximum of EUR 15,000 and a minimum of EUR 231 per member, municipality, or district. Indigenous people’s organizations are under no obligation to pay fees. The Executive Board decides on annual fees for associated members on a case-by-case basis. |
ICLEI | 1990 | All population sizes | 1075 members (including more than 2500 local and regional worldwide governments) | Working alongside local and regional governments to anticipate and respond to complex challenges, from urbanization and climate change to ecosystem degradation and inequity. At national and global scales, pushing for robust policies that reflect the interests of local and regional governments and applying global policies to sustainable urban development strategies at subnational levels. | Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, C40, UCLG | ICLEI members pay an annual fee based on the number of inhabitants in the local and national area based on per capita income. According to four groups classified per Gross National Income Per Capita (local Governments from EUR 100 to 8000) |
ENERGY CITIES | 1990 | Municipalities, inter-municipal bodies and consortia, local energy agencies, and municipal companies chaired by an elected member specialized in regional or national associations of municipalities working in the same sector as that of Energy Cities/Energie-Cités. Municipalities located outside geographical Europe may have the status of Associate members | 180 member cities | Sharing of knowhow in the fields of energy management, development of renewable energy sources, and reduction in pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions, to contribute to strengthening the role and capabilities of municipalities and local authorities in the areas of energy consumption, distribution, and production and more generally local energy planning. | Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, METREX | Annual fees are adapted to the specific context of the members. It depends on the number of inhabitants. |
METREX | 1996 | Metropolitan areas | 120 metropolitan regions and areas | Strategic planning and development at the metropolitan level. | EUROCITIES | The cost of the fee is related to the membership type |
C40 CITIES | 2005 | Megacities | 96 member cities | Adoption by the cities of a resilient and inclusive climate action plan aligned with the 1.5 °C ambition of the Paris Agreement and regular updates. In 2024, the city remains on track to deliver its climate action plan, contributing to increased resilience, equitable outcome, and halving C40’s overall emissions by 2030. | Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, ICLEI, UCLG | C40 member cities earn their membership through action. C40’s most distinguishing feature is that it operates on performance-based requirements, not membership fees. |
CIVITAS | 2002 | All population sizes | Over 340 local authorities | Promotion and implementation of sustainable, clean, and (energy) efficient urban transport experiments. Demonstration of integrated packages of technology and policy actions in the field of energy and transport in eight categories of measures. Built up critical mass and markets for innovation by transferring good practices to other European cities. | Global Covenant of Mayors for climate and energy, Eurocities | Membership is free and open to all who sign the CIVITAS City Declaration. |
COVENANT OF MAYORS FOR ENERGY AND CLIMATE | 2008 | All population sizes | 11,820 EU27 signatories | Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 according to the EU objectives, with the commitment to mid- and long-term targets. Developing a climate pact with all players (i.e., citizens, businesses, and governments at all levels) engaged in the processes. Networking with fellow mayors and local leaders, in Europe and beyond. | ANCI, CIVITAS, C40, Climate Alliance, Energy Cities, ICLEI, UCLG | The GCoM is based on a voluntary commitment. Joining the GCoM is fully free of charge. |
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Santopietro, L.; Scorza, F. Voluntary Planning and City Networks: A Systematic Bibliometric Review Addressing Current Issues for Sustainable and Climate-Responsive Planning. Sustainability 2024, 16, 8655. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198655
Santopietro L, Scorza F. Voluntary Planning and City Networks: A Systematic Bibliometric Review Addressing Current Issues for Sustainable and Climate-Responsive Planning. Sustainability. 2024; 16(19):8655. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198655
Chicago/Turabian StyleSantopietro, Luigi, and Francesco Scorza. 2024. "Voluntary Planning and City Networks: A Systematic Bibliometric Review Addressing Current Issues for Sustainable and Climate-Responsive Planning" Sustainability 16, no. 19: 8655. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198655