Browsing by Author "Urrutia-Azcona, Koldo"
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Item ENER-BI: Integrating Energy and Spatial Data for Cities’ Decarbonisation Planning(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2021-01-04) Urrutia-Azcona, Koldo; Usobiaga-Ferrer, Elena; De Agustín-Camacho, Pablo; Molina-Costa, Patricia; Benedito-Bordonau, Mauricia; Flores-Abascal, IvánGiven the current climate emergency, our planet is suffering. Mitigation measures must be urgently deployed in urban environments, which are responsible for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions. In this sense, a deeper integration between energy and urban planning disciplines is a key factor for effective decarbonisation in urban environments. This is addressed in the Cities4ZERO decarbonisation methodology. This method specifically points out the need for technology-based solutions able to support that integration among both disciplines at a local level, enriching decision-making in urban decarbonisation policy-making, diagnosis, planning, and follow-up tasks, incorporating the spatial dimension to the whole process (GIS-based), as well as the possibilities of the digital era. Accordingly, this paper explores the demands of both integrated urban energy planning and European/Basque energy directives, to set the main requisites and functionalities that Decision Support Systems (DSSs) must fulfil to effectively support city managers and the urban decarbonisation process.Item Smart zero carbon city readiness level: sistema de indicadores para el diagnostico de las ciudades en su camino hacia la descarbonizacion y su aplicacion en el Pais Vasco(2018-05) Urrutia-Azcona, Koldo; Fontán-Agorreta, Luis; Díez-Trinidad, Francisco Javier; Rodríguez-Pérez-Curiel, Francisco; Vicente-Gómez, Julia; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; LABORATORIO DE TRANSFORMACIÓN URBANANowadays urban environments concentrate more than half the world’s population, reaching up to 70% on 2050 according to forecasts. This concentration implies that most of future challenges will take place in cities as well as the opportunities coming from their potential solutions. Current technological innovation can provide support in facing one of main challenges society is facing: reducing carbon footprint from our cities. This ambitious transition, steered by the Smart Zero Carbon City (SZCC) concept, needs a flexible characterisation method, which can be adapted to different kinds of cities to evaluate the main features of each city, hence proposing and prioritising most suitable interventions. The aim of this study is focused on the characterisation of cities according to the SZCC concept through a set of indicators: the Smart Zero Carbon City Readiness Level (SZCC Readiness Level), able to analyse key aspects of cities according to SZCC concept (Characteristics of the city; City plans and strategies; Energy; Mobility; Infrastructures and ICT services; Citizen Engagement). This characterisation enlightens the development of SZCC concept in the city, identifying its strengths and weaknesses in order to ease the alternatives’ selection towards decarbonisation, being handy at a time for those small and medium-sized municipalities, so common in the European context, which usually hold less resources than big capitals to implement decision-making support diagnoses. In order to validate this set of indicators, SZCC Readiness Level has been implemented in 5 Basque cities, which represent different urban typologies, analysing its current situation regarding SZCC concept.Item Towards an Integrated Approach to Urban Decarbonisation in Practice: The Case of Vitoria-Gasteiz: the case of vitoria-gasteiz(2021-08-07) Urrutia-Azcona, Koldo; Molina-Costa, Patricia; Muñoz, Iñigo; Maya-Drysdale, David; Garcia-Madruga, Carolina; Flores-Abascal, Iván; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; LABORATORIO DE TRANSFORMACIÓN URBANA; GENERAL; PLANIFICACIÓN ENERGÉTICAHow can local authorities effectively approach the decarbonisation of urban environments? Recent efforts to redirect cities into a less energy-intensive model have been mostly approached from a sectoral perspective, with specific energy policies and plans being issued without deeply considering their ties with other urban aspects. In this sense, well-established urban planning procedures have not been part of those, with the consequence of barriers in the implementation phase of those energy plans. The Cities4ZERO methodology was developed to guide effective integration between urban planning and energy policies, plans, and practices. It provides a holistic approach to strategic municipal processes for urban decarbonisation in the mid-long term, which includes key local stakeholders’ engagement into integrated energy planning processes, as well as tools for effective energy decarbonisation modelling. This paper analyses the application of the Cities4ZERO decarbonisation methodology on its strategic stage in the development of Vitoria-Gasteiz’s Action Plan for an Integrated Energy Transition 2030 (APIET 2030). It suggests that in order to accelerate urban decarbonisation, it is critical to: (a) foster interdepartmental collaboration; (b) allow for flexibility on the land-use planning regulations; (c) back decisions with detailed urban-energy models; and (d) truly engage key local stakeholders in the planning and implementation processes.