Cities 1.5 Cities as Urban Laboratories: Time to re-think what prosperity really means?
Apr 8, 2025
Angelos Varvarousis, a professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona specializing in degrowth economics, and Takehiko Nagumo, director of the Smart City Institute Japan, engage in a stimulating discussion about reimagining urban prosperity. They explore how cities like Barcelona and Girona are piloting innovative economic concepts that prioritize well-being over GDP. The duo also highlights Japan's focus on creating well-being indicators for smart cities, challenging traditional growth metrics and emphasizing the importance of equitable urban development.
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Cities as Networks
- Cities are networks, not isolated entities, and their sustainability depends on interconnected systems.
- Urban sustainability should consider the entire territorial network, including food sources and waste disposal.
Degrowth Strategies for Cities
- Create new sustainability indicators beyond gas emissions.
- Control supply chains and externalized costs, and reduce global capital's influence to address housing crises and over-tourism.
Barcelona's Experiment
- Barcelona, under Ada Colau's administration, implemented institutional innovations like incorporating social and solidarity economy and anti-displacement measures.
- However, the city's growth dependency hindered its ability to fully address the housing crisis.