- Paradoxical cities: Lower carbon emissions might not lead to low carbon cities    515 kb by    Giacobbe, Nora & Ravella, Olga & Frediani, Julieta | ngiacobbe@yahoo.com    Short Outline The present paper’s hypothesis is based on an IPCC’s statement: “Change in consumption patterns could be more important in the long range that the mere implantation of climate change mitigation measures”. Abstract Housing, industry and transportation account - approximately by thirds - for 90% of energy consumption and associated polluting emissions in Argentina. Successful interventions upon transport-derived CO2 emissions would be a significant achievement: appropriate technologies are now available and substitution of oil-based fuel by renewable energy sources is now feasible. However, emission trends do not seem to march towards the Kyoto Protocol horizons but rather - at an exponential rate - towards opposite directions. Hence, the question on whether there are conditions for creating low carbon cities is valid. The present paper’s hypothesis is based on an IPCC’s statement: “Change in consumption patterns could be more important in the long range that the mere implantation of climate change mitigation measures” (our translation). In attempting to produce low carbon cities, we aim to clear up contradictions and shortcomings amidst discourses and practices of individual and social actors. In consumption matters, the ‘what’, ‘how’, ‘where’ and ‘who’ questions – as well as the scale issue - should be at the base of greenhouse effect mitigation proposals; thus, the territorial level becomes the starting point to address “the urban”. The analysis of consumption patterns enables an integral outlook on the problem, by searching solutions which imply articulating transport with land uses and energy planning. It also means studying behaviours and practices of those various social actors who make up decisions about cities’ design and growth patterns, the planning of transport and circulation networks but also of those who use and drive transportation means. The paper systemically addresses this wide and diverse set of urban and human factors based on the applied case analyses of Argentine cities. Keywords Lower carbon emissions -consumption patterns -behaviours and practices Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2009: Low Carbon Cities   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper