Urban metabolism and entropy as catalysts for sustainability in complex urban systems

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46380/rias.vol6.e315

Keywords:

city, urban complexity, urban ecosystem, urban entropy, urban management, urban planning, urban sustainability

Abstract

Urban sustainability faces interconnected challenges that affect the quality of life and the environment, requiring a holistic approach and an adequate methodology to address complex urban systems. The objective of this essay was to analyze advances in the theory of metabolism and entropy as a whole in urban systems, identify conceptions and trends, and explore its use as a framework to promote urban sustainability. The methodology used included a review of the literature in relevant databases, allowing to address how urban metabolism and entropy can contribute to the development of sustainable urban systems, by addressing the interconnected challenges of sustainability in an optimistic and informed manner. It was concluded that the urban metabolism is a plausible integration framework that contributes to urban sustainability by identifying elements and interactions of urban subsystems. The importance of entropy as an indicator of complexity and efficiency of the urban system and its relationship with metabolism is highlighted. To address the limitations, an integrated scientific framework is proposed considering sociotechnical, economic, and ecological aspects in the analysis of urban sustainability that reflects the coevolutionary material-symbolic duality.

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Published

2023-10-04

How to Cite

Godoy Uribe, G. (2023). Urban metabolism and entropy as catalysts for sustainability in complex urban systems. Iberoamerican Environment & Sustainability Journal, 6, e315. https://doi.org/10.46380/rias.vol6.e315

Issue

Section

Environmental management in human settlements