Page 262 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

236 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

economic growth, as about 85% of the global gross domestic product is
generated by cities. Such rapid growth puts an enormous pressure on urban
resources, carrying capacities, and quality of life. The reason for the future
success of the circular economy in European cities stands in its higher ability
to face the challenges and risks brought about by the traditional model: eco-
nomic losses and structural waste, price risks, supply risks, and natural sys-
tems degradation.
Cities are places where complex and interdependent challenges related to
resource depletion, climate change impacts, environmental degradation,
pollution, health issues, and social exclusion must be faced.
Typical paradoxes of the linear economy in European cities can be
described with the following examples:

l A typical European car is parked 92% of the time;
l Almost10%e15% of building material is wasted during construction;
l About 50% of most city land is dedicated to streets and roads, and other
vehicle-related infrastructure.
In Europe, the role of cities as key actors and incubators for innovative
solutions that tackle these challenges has been acknowledged in a new “Urban
Agenda,” and it is recognized that a systemic and cross-sectorial urban
ecosystem approach is needed.
Luckily enough, in Europe we are experiencing an overwhelming response
by major European cities to several Horizon 2020 initiatives, the mainstream
innovation structural program of the European Union. Through cross-cutting
activities in the Smart and Sustainable Cities focus area, Europe will
continue to invest in actions to enhance the innovation capacity of cities to act
as hubs of innovation in designing and implementing their transition pathways
toward resilient, sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient, and inclusive
cities with a reduced environmental footprint.
Complementary research and innovation programs were also activated to
strengthen the cooperation between Europe and other major economies, such
as the United States, China, and India, on sustainable urbanization and to
support the overall innovation capacity of the cities, assisting them in
designing and implementing transition pathways toward environmental, social,
economic, institutional, and cultural sustainability and resilience, within a
systemic circular economy framework.
A key role will be played by the so-called nature-based solutions, which
under the current EU research and innovation policy framework are defined as:
“living solutions inspired and supported by nature that simultaneously provide
environmental, social and economic benefits and help to build resilience.” The
challenge is to bring more nature and natural features and processes into cities,
landscapes, and seascapes, through locally adapted, resource-efficient, and
systemic interventions.