Sustainable urban development: A scoping review of barriers to the public policy and administration

Galego, Diego; Esposito, Giovanni; Crutzen, Nathalie

doi:10.1177/09520767241266410

Request a copy

Article (Scientific journals)

Sustainable urban development: A scoping review of barriers to the public policy and administration

Galego, Diego; Esposito, Giovanni; Crutzen, Nathalie

2024 • In Public Policy and Administration

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2268/328034

DOI
10.1177/09520767241266410

Files (1)Send to Details Statistics Bibliography Similar publications

Files

Full Text

AcceptedVersion_PPA_2024.pdf

Author preprint (689.87 kB)

Request a copy

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to

RIS BibTex APA Chicago Permalink X Linkedin

Details

Keywords :

Policy cycle; public administration; public policy; sustainable development goals; Sociology and Political Science; Public Administration

Abstract :

[en] Sustainable urban development (SUD) gained prominence after the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030), countering imbalanced growth that was impacting society, the economy, and the environment. Research on SUD is rapidly expanding among scholars and practitioners, analysing theoretical and empirical aspects. However, SUD encounters multiple barriers in public policies and administration. This study examines academic literature to identify trends in barriers hindering effective policy development based on policy cycles. Through analysis of 90 records, 183 fragments express barriers to SUD, categorized into five types: organisational, interaction-specific, SUD characteristics, contextual and policy-related. The article offers insights to enhance SUD policies and overcome the identifying barriers.

Disciplines :

Business & economic sciences: Multidisciplinary, general & others

Author, co-author :

Galego, Diego ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > UER Management : Sustainable Strategy ; KU Leuven Public Governance Institute, Leuven, Belgium

Esposito, Giovanni ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > UER Management : Sustainable Strategy ; Free University Brussels (ULB), Brussels, Belgium

Crutzen, Nathalie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > UER Management : Sustainable Strategy

Language :

English

Title :

Sustainable urban development: A scoping review of barriers to the public policy and administration

Publication date :

2024

Journal title :

Public Policy and Administration

ISSN :

0952-0767

eISSN :

1749-4192

Publisher :

SAGE Publications Ltd

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/09520767241266410

Funding text :

This research has been partially funded by the European Regional Developent Fund (Wal-e-cities / REACT-EU)

Available on ORBi :

since 06 February 2025

Statistics

Number of views

16 (5 by ULiège)

Number of downloads

0 (0 by ULiège)

More statistics

Scopus citations^®

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

OpenCitations

OpenAlex citations

Bibliography

Ababio BK Lu W (2023) Barriers and enablers of circular economy in construction: a multi-system perspective towards the development of a practical framework. Construction Management & Economics 41(1): 3–21. DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2022.2135750.
Acampora A Ruini L Mattia G, et al. (2023) Towards carbon neutrality in the agri-food sector: Drivers and barriers. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 189: 106755. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106755.
Aerni P (2016) Coping with migration-induced urban growth: addressing the blind spot of UN habitat. Sustainability 8(8): 800. DOI: 10.3390/su8080800.
Aina TA Etta FE Obi CI (1994) The search for sustainable urban development in Metropolitan Lagos, Nigeria: Prospects and problems. Third World Planning Review 16(2): 201–219.
Aina YA Wafer A Ahmed F, et al. (2019) Top-down sustainable urban development? Urban governance transformation in Saudi Arabia. Cities 90(July): 272–281. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2019.03.003.
Alkhani R (2020) Understanding private-sector engagement in sustainable urban development and delivering the climate agenda in North Western Europe—a case study of London and Copenhagen. Sustainability 12(20): 8431. DOI: 10.3390/su12208431.
Andersen B Skrede J (2017) Planning for a sustainable Oslo: the challenge of turning urban theory into practice. Local Environment 22(5): 581–594. DOI: 10.1080/13549839.2016.1236783.
Béal V (2012) Urban governance, sustainability and environmental movements: post-democracy in French and British cities. European Urban and Regional Studies 19(4): 404–419. DOI: 10.1177/0969776411428562.
Bogers M Biermann F Kalfagianni A, et al. (2022) Sustainable development goals fail to advance policy integration: a large-n text analysis of 159 international organizations. Environmental Science & Policy 138(December): 134–145. DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2022.10.002.
Bothello J Mehrpouya A (2019) Between regulatory field structuring and organizational roles: Intermediation in the field of sustainable urban development. Regulation & Governance 13(2): 177–196. DOI: 10.1111/rego.12215.
Bouckaert G Galego D (forthcoming) System-quake proof ‘systemic resilience governance’: six measures for readiness. Global Policy.
Buyannemekh B Gil-Garcia JR Gascó-Hernández M (2023) Exploring emergent collaborations for digital transformation in local governments: the engagement of public libraries in the development of smart cities. Public Policy and Administration 0(0): 1–26. DOI: 10.1177/09520767231197600.
Carpenter J González Medina M Huete García MÁ, et al. (2020) Variegated Europeanization and urban policy: dynamics of policy transfer in France, Italy, Spain and the UK. European Urban and Regional Studies 27(3): 227–245. DOI: 10.1177/0969776419898508.
Casiano F Cheryl deB (2015) Symbolic implementation: governance Assessment of the water Treatment plant policy in the Puebla’s Alto Atoyac Sub-Basin, Mexico. International Journal Of Water Governance 4(January): 1–24. DOI: 10.7564/14-IJWG79
Cavaco C Florentino R Pagliuso A (2020) Urban policies in Portugal. In: Armondi S Sonia de Gregorio H (ed) Foregrounding Urban Agendas: The New Urban Issue in European Experiences of Policy-Making. Cham: Springer, 49–73. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-29073-3_3.
Chelleri L Schuetze T Salvati L (2015) Integrating Resilience with urban sustainability in neglected Neighborhoods: challenges and opportunities of Transitioning to decentralized water management in Mexico city. Habitat International 48(August): 122–130. DOI: 10.1016/j.habitatint.2015.03.016.
Chin WY Mees HLP (2021) The rising stars of social innovations: how Do local governments facilitate citizen initiatives to thrive? The case of waste management in Brussels and Hong Kong. Environmental Policy and Governance 31(5): 533–545. DOI: 10.1002/eet.1953.
Cinar E Trott P Simms C (2019) A systematic review of barriers to public sector innovation process. Public Management Review 21(2): 264–290. DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2018.1473477.
Collia C March A (2012) Urban planning regulations for ecologically sustainable development (ESD) in Victoria: beyond building controls. Urban Policy and Research 30(2): 105–126. DOI: 10.1080/08111146.2012.679816.
Dąbrowski M (2015) ‘Doing more with less’ or ‘doing less with less’? Assessing EU cohesion Policy’s financial Instruments for urban development. Regional Studies, Regional Science 2(1): 73–96. DOI: 10.1080/21681376.2014.999107.
Davison A Patel Z Greyling S (2016) Tackling wicked problems and Tricky transitions: change and Continuity in Cape Town’s environmental policy Landscape. Local Environment 21(9): 1063–1081. DOI: 10.1080/13549839.2015.1066321.
Ddiba D Kim A Koop SHA, et al. (2020) Governing the circular economy: assessing the capacity to implement resource-oriented sanitation and waste management systems in low- and middle-income countries. Earth System Governance 4(June): 19. DOI: 10.1016/j.esg.2020.100063.
De Vries H Bekkers V Tummers L (2016) Innovation in the public sector: a systematic review and future research agenda. Public Administration 94(1): 146–166. DOI: 10.1111/padm.12209.
Domorenok E Graziano P Polverari L (2021) Policy integration, policy design and administrative Capacities. Evidence from EU cohesion policy. Policy and Society 40(1): 58–78. DOI: 10.1080/14494035.2021.1930697.
El-Kholei AO (2020) Failed planning: Lost opportunities and choices for the future. Open House International 45(4): 387–406. DOI: 10.1108/OHI-07-2020-0075.
El-Sherif DM Khalil EE (2022) Policy instruments for facilitating smart city governance. In Smart Cities Policies and Financing 5: 305–317. Elsevier. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-819130-9.00052-8.
Dunn W (2017) Public Policy Analysis: An Integrated Approach. 6th ed. New York: Routledge, 1–498.
Dye T (1972) Understanding Public Policy. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1–368.
Elander I Gustavsson E (2019) From policy community to issue networks: implementing social sustainability in a Swedish urban development programme. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space 37(6): 1082–1101. DOI: 10.1177/2399654418820077.
Esposito G Nelson T Ferlie E, et al. (2021) The institutional shaping of global megaprojects: the case of the Lyon-Turin high-speed railway. International Journal of Project Management 39(6): 658–671. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2021.06.001.
Esposito G Terlizzi A Crutzen N (2022) Policy narratives and megaprojects: the case of the Lyon-Turin high-speed railway. Public Management Review 24(1): 55–79. DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2020.1795230.
Evans N (2011) Lost in Translation? the Bristol Accord and the sustainable communities agenda Lost in Translation? the Bristol Accord and the sustainable communities agenda 1 Neil Evans author information. European Journal of Spatial Development 44.
Faehnle M Bäcklund P Tyrväinen L, et al. (2014) How can residents’ Experiences Inform planning of urban green infrastructure? Case Finland. Landscape and Urban Planning 130(1): 171–183. DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.07.012.
Filion P Lee M Leanage N, et al. (2015) Planners’ perspectives on obstacles to sustainable urban development: Implications for transformative planning strategies. Planning Practice and Research 30(2): 202–221. DOI: 10.1080/02697459.2015.1023079.
Galera AN Rodríguez DO López Hernández AM (2008) Identifying barriers to the application of standardized performance indicators in local government. Public Management Review 10(2): 241–262. DOI: 10.1080/14719030801928706.
Gallez C Kaufmann V Maksim H, et al. (2013) Coordinating transport and urban planning: from ideologies to local realities. European Planning Studies 21(8): 1235–1255. DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2012.722945.
Goebel A (2007) Sustainable urban development? Low-cost housing challenges in South Africa. Habitat International 31(3–4): 291–302. DOI: 10.1016/j.habitatint.2007.03.001.
Hall P (2007) The future of the Metropolis and its Form. Regional Studies 41(sup1): S137–S146. DOI: 10.1080/00343400701232314.
Harms MC Goodwin VA (2019) Scoping reviews. Physiotherapy 105(4): 397–398. DOI: 10.1016/j.physio.2019.10.005.
Henry E Paris M (2009) Institutional dynamics and institutional barriers to sustainable construction in France, the United Kingdom and The Netherlands. In: Cooper I Symes M (eds) Sustainable Urban Development: Changing Professional Practice. London and New York: Routledge, Vol. 4: 171–196.
Hosseini A Ahmad P Pajoohan M (2016) Assessment of Institutions in sustainable urban-management Effects on sustainable development of Tehran: learning from a developing country. Journal of Urban Planning and Development 142(2): 17. DOI: 10.1061/(asce)up.1943-5444.0000301.
Howlett M Ramesh M Perl A (2009) Studying Public Policy: Policy Cycles & Policy Subsystems. 3rd edition. Ontario, Canada: Oxford University Press.
Huang S-L Wong J-H Chen T-C (1998) A framework of indicator system for measuring Taipei’s urban sustainability. Landscape and Urban Planning 42(1): 15–27. DOI: 10.1016/S0169-2046(98)00054-1.
Jacquier C (2005) On relationships between integrated policies for sustainable urban development and urban governance. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie 96(4): 363–376. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2005.00469.x.
Janurova M Chaloupkova M Kunc J (2020) Smart city strategy and its implementation barriers. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management 15(2): 5–21. DOI: 10.2307/26915287.
Jenkins W (1978) Policy analysis: a political and organizational perspective. London: Martin Robertson.
Karppi I Vakkuri J (2020) Becoming smart? Pursuit of sustainability in urban policy design. Public Management Review 22(5): 746–766. DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2020.1718188.
Karvonen A (2010) MetronaturalTM: Inventing and Reworking urban nature in Seattle. Progress in Planning 74(4): 153–202. DOI: 10.1016/j.progress.2010.07.001.
Kern F Rogge KS (2018) Harnessing theories of the policy process for analysing the politics of sustainability transitions: a critical survey. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 27: 102–117. DOI: 10.1016/j.eist.2017.11.001.
Klopp JM Petretta DL (2017) The urban sustainable development goal: indicators, complexity and the politics of measuring cities. Cities 63(March): 92–97. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2016.12.019.
Lasswell H (1956) The Decision Process: Seven Categories of Functional Analysis. Maryland: University of Maryland Press.
Leman E Cox JE (1991) Sustainable urban development: strategic considerations for Urbanizing Nations. Ekistics 58(348/349): 216–224. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43623198
Mahmudul Haque AKM Akram Ullah SM Sikdar MM, et al. (2022) Integrating environmental governance into sustainable urban development in Bangladesh. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning 17(5): 1471–1478. DOI: 10.18280/ijsdp.170511.
Makieła ZJ Stuss MM Mucha-Kuś K, et al. (2022) Smart city 4.0: sustainable urban development in the Metropolis GZM. Sustainability 14(6): 3516. DOI: 10.3390/su14063516.
Medeiros E Van Der Zwet A (2020) Evaluating integrated sustainable urban development strategies: a methodological framework applied in Portugal. European Planning Studies 28(3): 563–582. DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2019.1606898.
Mendez C van der Zwet A Borkowska-Waszak S (2021) Rescaling urban development policy in the EU: the impact of integrated place-based approaches in cohesion policy. Regional Studies 55(6): 1154–1165. DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2021.1891215.
Moffat F Chakwizira J Ingwani E, et al. (2021) Policy directions for spatial transformation and sustainable development: a case study of Polokwane city, South Africa. Town and Regional Planning 78: 5. DOI: 10.18820/2415-0495/trp78i1.4.
Moore S Rydin Y (2008) Promoting sustainable construction: European and British networks at the knowledge-policy Interface. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning 10: 233–254. DOI: 10.1080/15239080802242712.
Mu R Wang H (2022) A systematic literature review of open innovation in the public sector: Comparing barriers and governance strategies of digital and non-digital open innovation. Public Management Review 24(4): 489–511. DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2020.1838787.
Munn Z Peters MDJ Stern C, et al. (2018) Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology 18(143): 143–147. DOI: 10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x.
Perry B Atherton M (2017) Beyond critique: the value of co-production in realising just cities? Local Environment 22(November): 36–51. DOI: 10.1080/13549839.2017.1297389.
Pesch U Vernay AL van Bueren E, et al. (2017) Niche entrepreneurs in urban systems integration: on the role of Individuals in Niche formation. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 49(8): 1922–1942. DOI: 10.1177/0308518X17705383.
Peters BG (2015) Policy capacity in public administration. Policy and Society 34(3–4): 219–228. DOI: 10.1016/j.polsoc.2015.09.005.
Peters G (2015) Advanced Introduction to Public Policy. Cheltenham, UK; Northampton, Massachusetts, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Peters MDJ Godfrey CM Khalil H, et al. (2015) Guidance for conducting systematic scoping reviews. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare 13(3): 141–146. DOI: 10.1097/XEB.0000000000000050.
Pettigrew AM Whipp R (1993) Managing Change for Competitive Success. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Polverari L Domorenok E Graziano P (2022) Empowerment via delegation? The administrative capacity-building potential of cohesion policy urban development strategies. Regional Studies 58: 733–744. DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2022.2058698.
Prové C Dessein J Krom M (2016) Taking context into account in urban agriculture governance: case studies of Warsaw (Poland) and Ghent (Belgium). Land Use Policy 56(November): 16–26. DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.04.025.
Qian H Wong C (2012) Master planning under urban-rural integration: the case of Nanjing, China. Urban Policy and Research 30(4): 403–421. DOI: 10.1080/08111146.2012.737778.
Ripoll Gonzalez L Gale F (2023) Sustainable city branding narratives: a critical appraisal of processes and outcomes. Journal of Place Management and Development 16(1): 20–44. DOI: 10.1108/JPMD-09-2021-0093. Laura.
Roberts P (2009) Sustainable communities policy, practice and professional development: A model for Europe. In: Cooper I Symes M (eds) Sustainable Urban Development: Changing Professional Practice. London and New York: Routledge, Vol. 4: 127–144.
Romano GC (2014) Strategies for sustainable urban development: towards green (Er) Chinese cities? Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration 36(3): 233–247. DOI: 10.1080/23276665.2014.944748.
Rydin Y Moore S (2009) Sustainable construction and policy learning in Europe Cascades, networks or fragmentation? In: Cooper I Symes M (eds) Sustainable Urban Development: Changing Professional Practice. London and New York: Routledge, Vol. 4: 27–44.
Scheller D Thörn H (2018) Governing ‘sustainable urban development’ through self-build groups and cohousing: the cases of Hamburg and Gothenburg. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 42(5): 914–933. DOI: 10.1111/1468-2427.12652.
Seabrooke W Yeung SCW Ma FMF, et al. (2004) Implementing sustainable urban development at the Operational level (with special reference to Hong Kong and Guangzhou). Habitat International 28(3): 443–466. DOI: 10.1016/S0197-3975(03)00043-2.
Shawoo Z Maltais A Dzebo A, et al. (2023) Political drivers of policy coherence for sustainable development: An analytical framework. Environmental Policy and Governance 33(4): 339–350. DOI: 10.1002/eet.2039.
Sheng YK (2010) Good urban governance in Southeast Asia. Environment and Urbanization Asia 1(2): 131–147. DOI: 10.1177/097542531000100203.
Sminia H (2016) Pioneering process research: Andrew Pettigrew’s contribution to management scholarship, 1962-2014. International Journal of Management Reviews 18(2): 111–132. DOI: 10.1111/ijmr.12063.
Stigt R Driessen PPJ Spit TJM (2013) A window on urban sustainability. Integration of environmental interests in urban planning through ‘decision windows. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 42(September): 18–24. DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2013.04.002.
Tchinda A Talbot D (2024) Barriers and enablers of environmental policy coherence: A systematic review. Environmental Policy and Governance 34(1): 77–92. DOI: 10.1002/eet.2057.
Tretter EM (2013) Contesting sustainability: ‘SMART growth’ and the Redevelopment of Austin’s Eastside. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 37(1): 297–310. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2427.2012.01166.x.
Tricco A Lillie E Zarin W, et al. (2018) PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine 169(7): 467–473. DOI: 10.7326/M18-0850.
Turcu C (2012) Local Experiences of urban sustainability: Researching housing market renewal interventions in three English neighbourhoods. Progress in Planning 78(3): 101–150. DOI: 10.1016/j.progress.2012.04.002.
UN-Habitat (2022) World cities report 2022. Envisaging the Future of Cities 1–422. Available at: https://unhabitat.org/world-cities-report-2022-envisaging-the-future-of-cities
United Nations (1987) Report of the world commission on environment and development. Our Common Future 1–247. Available at: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/139811
Varol C Ercoskun OY Gurer N (2011) Local participatory mechanisms and collective actions for sustainable urban development in Turkey. Habitat International 35(1): 9–16. DOI: 10.1016/j.habitatint.2010.02.002.
Wamsler C Lawson N (2011) The role of formal and informal Insurance mechanisms for reducing urban disaster risk: a South-North Comparison. Housing Studies 26(2): 197–223. DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2011.542087.
Zwet A Ferry M (2019) Integrated sustainable urban development strategies in the European union: Added value and challenges. In: Medeiros E (ed) Territorial Cohesion: The Urban Dimension. Cham: Springer, 111–129. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-03386-6_6.