How creating visions of a post-carbon urban future can help generate a positive image of the transformed city in which urban life quality, economic and social vibrancy improve for citizens, while carbon emissions decrease? Utilising urban policies to facilitate transition towards a post-carbon future requires a drastic change of direction in current policies. Yet the uncertainty associated with change can often stifle action. Creating a roadmap based on such visions and scenarios translates the envisaged and necessary transformations into feasible small-scale actions. Developing a policy programme based on post-carbon visions and roadmaps can transform the ambitious goal of achieving a post-carbon society into manageable and measureable steps of change, without losing sight of the long-term goal. Visions are thus a useful instrument to foster the necessary foresight and consensus to support post-carbon policy changes. The types of policy changes and the sectors to be addressed depend on the specific situation of the city, including the necessity and feasibility of actions.

This Policy Brief is the second of a series of six that will be produced in the coming months on major issues addressed by POCACITO. It was prepared and written by margaretha Breil from FEEM, Italy.

See all POCACITO policy briefs

See the Report on the POCACITO stakholders workshops