Dystopian transition?

Nicoletti, Eleonora

Abstract

The need for reducing carbon emissions and tackling the climate crisis has prompted urban regeneration initiatives that propose visions of more sustainable futures for urban environments supplied with renewable energy generated locally. With the increasing electrification of heating and transport, raising the electricity demand in cities, distributed energy generation from renewable sources in built environments becomes even more appealing. Showing great potential for integration into building roofs and vertical facades, photovoltaic technology can contribute to the green transition. However, a closer look at the changing image of cities driven by an energy focus may reveal negative impacts on local communities.
This article examines the issue of urban regeneration for the renewable energy transition with attention to how its potential effects on the quality of public spaces can offer a dystopian future. Through a reflection on existing literature and case studies, the article considers how new or retrofitted facades designed to improve the energy performance of buildings or supply these with renewable energy may deprive urban spaces of their character. It explores how energy-focused renovations can negatively affect a sense of place, harming vulnerable population segments and exacerbating social disparity. The article sheds light on the hiatus between the ongoing transformation of cities and the idea of urban regeneration benefitting local communities. It proposes to challenge technocratic urban dystopias and explore a bottom-up approach to reshaping the image of cities for the implementation of renewable energy solutions. The approach should be attentive to the perceptions and needs of local communities. It should be considerate of their attachment to places as well as their needs for expression and interaction with the environments they live in. It should fully engage local communities in informing the transformation of their cities.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 18, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Nov 25, 2023
• Publication Date: Nov 25, 2023
• Deposit Date: Feb 8, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 9, 2024
• Journal: Lo Squaderno
• Print ISSN: 1973-9141
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 66
• Pages: 19-23
• Series ISSN: 1973-9141
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11676379
• Publisher URL: http://www.losquaderno.net/?p=2339