The aim of this book is to highlight the great potential of decentralized (i.e. local or urban) energy policies in achieving environmentally-benign developments for modern cities. Urban sustainability is placed in the context of the debate on global sustainable development. A wide array of policy initiatives is discussed and evaluated, ranging from market-based energy policies to technological innovation policies for the energy sector. A theoretical framework for technology adoption processes is developed and empirically tested. The main question addressed is: which are the critical success factors for successful urban energy policies? This question is also dealt with in a meta-analytic context by assessing and comparing the performance of energy policies in various European cities, with a particular view to renewable energy.

Preface PART A: THE SUSTAINABLE CITY 1 Concept of a Sustainable City 2 Institutional Regimes for Sustainable Urban Development 3 Methodological Framework for Urban Energy Policy Analysis PART B: URBAN SUSTAINABILITY AND TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION 4 Key Issues in the Adoption of Renewable Energy Technologies 5 Irreversibilities and Indivisibilities of Renewable Energy Adoption Processes in a Monopolisitc Market 6 Irreversibilities and Indivisibilities of Renewable Energy Adoption Processes: National Competition vs. Local Monopolistic Markets 7 Indivisibilities and Irreversibilities in Urban Renewable Energy Strategies: A Comparative Empirical Analysis PART C: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EUROPEAN SUSTAINABLE CITY OPPORTUNITIES 8 Success Factors and Barriers of Urban Energy Policies: A Qualitative Analysis 9 A Comparative Empirical Analysis of Urban Energy Policies: A Meta-Analytic Approach 10 Success Factors and Barriers of Urban Energy Policies: Interdependencies among Different Critical Factors 11 Policy Recommendations and Guidelines for Renewable Energy Technologies in Cities References Subject Index