The multiple dimensions of urban contexts in an industrial ecology perspective: an integrative framework

Purpose: This article analyses, in an industrial ecology (IE) perspective, urban contexts with specific features, such as a reduced space scale, a hybrid nature, which includes a residential, industrial and rural dimension, and a strong spatial contiguity among these three dimensions. Methods: The study starts with a retrospective investigation of such contexts and the development of an approach based on contributions from urban metabolism and industrial symbiosis. An integrated analytical framework, based on empirical data and a literature review, is also proposed. Results and discussion: The integrated view of the three dimensions, associated with a fourth dedicated to waste and energy flows, can be useful for efficiently identifying and managing material and energy flows beyond the typical use and consumption of “pure” urban systems. The results of a pilot survey, carried out with reference to the territory of the Province of Pescara (Italy), confirm the widespread diffusion of these “hybrid” urban contexts, which can potentially grow in a synergistic way. Conclusions: Through this framework, land use policies and local improvement actions can be defined in a better way for a sustainable local development, together with a more effective governance. Significant areas of scientific advancement in the IE research field also emerge. © 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.