Unveiling urban governance diversity: Clustering cities based on mitigation actions

Sombol Mokhles*, Kathryn Davidson, Michele Acuto

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

Abstract

Embracing a “more global” urban comparison in scientific assessments of climate actions by cities is essential to drive greater and more inclusive participation in global efforts to curb climate change. This comparison needs to engage cities irrespective of their size and status: when we do so, distinctive patterns of urban climate mitigation actions across a diverse range of cities emerge. Employing K-means clustering as a pattern recognition method, this study compares cities based on selected aspects of their reported mitigation actions to the Carbon Disclosure Project. It explores whether the identified clusters facilitate the comparison of a socio-spatially diverse range of cities. The study identifies five clusters within two themes, namely the nature and finance–implementation of actions, shedding light on shared and distinct governance aspects of mitigation actions by cities. Notably, the study underscores how governance patterns transcend city size and global status. These findings offer valuable insights for broadening the comparative imagination of cities and inter-city networking opportunities.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1152-1167
Number of pages16
JournalAMBIO
Volume53
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Mar 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

Keywords

  • A “more global” urban comparison
  • Finance and implementation
  • K-means clustering
  • Mitigation actions
  • Patterns
  • Urban climate governance

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