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• This paper scrutinizes smart mobility project expecations' knowledge claims. • Smart knowledge claims present datafication as a producer of neutral knowledge. • Expectations based on datafication carry strong inherent legitimacy. • Expectations on societal benefits disappear from view when projects materialize. • Smart knowledge-claims risk excluding non-smart alternatives. This paper studies the performativity of smart mobility expectations in envisioning urban futures. Smart mobility, or ICT-enabled transport services, are increasingly considered a necessary ingredient for sustainability transitions in cities. Expectations of smart mobility's contribution to such a transition are constituted by a strong belief in the transformative potential of data collection and use. These knowledge claims embedded in smart mobility expectations tend to be unchallenged, yet contribute to a particular future vision of urban mobility. Our empirical analysis, which draws on two empirical smart cycling case studies in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and Bordeaux, France, underlines the politics of such smart knowledge claims in two smart cycling projects and identifies distinct processes as to how such claims may shape and structure mobility futures. We observe intimate entanglements between what is being developed in terms of technologies and services; and the societal needs that the projects' expectations promise to fulfil. At the same time, we witness a disentanglement of these interconnected knowledge claims when projects unfold, leaving the promise of (un)achieved societal benefits out of view. Indeed, smart knowledge claims carried strong inherent legitimacy in the cases studied, thereby risking to exclude non-smart alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policymakers are embracing the circular economy (CE) as a means of harmonizing environmental and economic interactions, including at the urban level. Whilst numerous studies cover CE practices, few papers cover how it is being implemented and how cities (hotspots of material consumption, waste generation and disconnected pollution) are transitioning from linear-like processing of materials to a cyclical form. This paper addresses (a) how is the CE being applied and driven at the city level, and (b) what are the emerging transitional barriers and limits of such strategies? It compares the case studies of Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague, especially as the Netherlands is considered a CE frontrunner. Utilising document analysis of key national and city level strategies and 67 interviews, we show that the key municipal instruments include public procurement, zoning laws, capacity building and knowledge exchange and these can mostly be applied to municipal purchases and the construction sector. Practitioners perceived the initial barriers as knowledge of suitable technologies and deployment opportunities, the low quality of waste streams in comparison to the low costs of high-quality virgin inputs, the difficulty in addressing these issues at the urban scale, and the linear mindset of relevant actors. We argue that core limitations for these strategies and city level circular transitions include the instrumental scope and capacity to influence value chains and businesses, in addition to an overt focus on end-of-pipe actions as opposed to reducing and reusing resources. This research suggests that multi-level policy integration is needed to alter value chains to enable a greater reduction in material inputs and changes in actor behaviour. • Cities are experimenting with circular economy (CE) activities in the construction sector because of its potential. • Cities can incentivize CE through e.g. public procurement, tendering, zoning and suasive. • Cities prioritise lower R-options (e.g. recycling) over higher ones (e.g. reduce). • Hard barriers include applying suitable technologies and the low cost of virgin materials. • Soft barriers include linear mindsets and the limited scope of municipal mandates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Case study on the transit network design and frequency setting problem. • Alternative lines plans are generated using a bi-objective memetic algorithm. • Realistic characteristics are incorporated in the model. • A large instance is proposed using real data, explaining the generation process. • The results are compared with the current situation using newly proposed metrics. This paper presents an approach to design better line plans for realistic cases. The planning problem is modelled as a realistic instance of the Transit Network Design and Frequency Setting Problem (TNDFSP). It incorporates additional assumptions taken from practice such as discrete frequencies, a subset of allowed terminal nodes and circular lines. A bi-objective memetic algorithm minimizes the average travel time (ATT) of the passengers and the fleet size. The method to generate the TNDFSP instance from real data is described in detail. Moreover, a new metric is proposed to compare different transit networks. In order to illustrate the approach, it is applied to the area of Utrecht, The Netherlands. The results show that the current network is modelled accurately and that the algorithm successfully generates alternative bus line plans within reasonable CPU time. It returns a subset of non-dominated solutions from which a compromise solution can be selected for practice. There are solutions with the same fleet size as the current solution, but a 6% lower ATT, or solutions with the same ATT, but a fleet size which is 19% smaller. Compared to the current network, the algorithm finds that it is convenient to substantially reduce the number of lines and to leave a small portion of demand unsatisfied. This paper also presents extensive experiments to test the impact of different assumptions about demand, bus capacity and minimum frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper looks into the experience of “passing through different territories of the city” (Sennett, 2006, p. 3). Despite their importance for making sense of the city as a whole, these experiences are often not acknowledged in urban planning. This paper compares the everyday, embodied experiences of commuter cyclists with the planners’ perspective on Utrecht. ‘On the ground’ data was collected via ride-alongs with 15 inhabitants of the Leidsche Rijn neighbourhood. Our analysis reveals cycling trajectories composed of diverse sensescapes. It paints a much more complex picture of intra-urban divisions and connections than the planners’ perspective of the ‘new’ Leidsche Rijn neighbourhood separated from the ‘old’ city by major infrastructure lines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• There is a crisis of the imagination regarding post-fossil futures; we need to better understand how imagination could be mobilized for societal change. • We analyze the Post-Fossil City Contest : an international design contest for imaginations of a city beyond carbon. • We introduce the concept of 'imaginative logics': the principles by which an abstract phenomenon is made tangible. • A typology of five imaginative logics is distinguished: doable, juxtaposing, defamiliarizing, guerilla and procedural. The transition to a less carbon-dependent society is arguably one of the most pressing issues of our time. As carbon is deeply embedded in contemporary western culture, this transition requires a deep reconsideration of cultural values. Art and design can be helpful in opening up this debate and imagining alternative futures. However, not much is known about how such interventions work. In this exploratory paper, we analyse a futuring intervention in which we were closely involved as organisers and curators– the Post-Fossil City Contest. This international competition aimed at imagining a city beyond carbon received 250 entries and resulted in a public exhibition at the municipal building in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The ideas developed by the finalists of the Post-Fossil City Contest inspired us to develop the notion of ' imaginative logics' : the set of principles underlying or constituting an imaginative intervention, by means of which an abstract phenomenon is made present to the audience. Linking our empirical observations to the speculative design and experiential futures literature, we distinguish between doable, juxtaposing, defamiliarizing, guerilla and procedural imaginative logics. This typology can be a starting point for further research into how and when to apply what kind of futuring intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socio-economic inequality across countries and urban regions is on the rise across the Global North. Even in formerly strong welfare states, such as the Netherlands, we now see the effects of sustained marketization and liberalization. Rising social inequality can manifest spatially and become reflected in the changing social geography of urban regions. However, the way in which structural changes affect the social geography of an urban region is highly contingent on the historically grown characteristics of that region, particularly the housing market structure and the labour market. Based on detailed register data on income and wealth of individual households for the four largest Dutch metropolitan areas, this paper describes the shifting spatial inequalities between high and lower status groups, unravelling changing patterns of concentrated affluence and poverty within the metropolitan regions of Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague-Rotterdam, and Eindhoven. We demonstrate that spatial patterns and moreover recent trends are quite differentiated between the four urban regions. We argue that these trajectories should be linked to the different urban profiles which are defined by their positions in global networks, the diversity of the economy, and the way in which national and local policies buffered or catalysed demographic and economic trends. Economically multi-layered and well connected cities, such as Utrecht and Amsterdam are most successful economically, spurring gentrification in the core and a push to the periphery of lower status groups. More mono-layered economies such as The Hague and Rotterdam do not experience widespread gentrification and retain poor inner-cities and relatively affluent suburbs. • Our paper studies the historical development trajectories of city regions. • It links these trajectories to contemporary socio-spatial inequalities. • The paper combines income and wealth data to construct class groups. • We find 'ripples' of change, with low-status groups pushed out of urban cores. • We combine quantitative analyses with structural long-term explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, the emergence of coworking spaces (CSs) has changed not only the way workers cooperate, but also how they carry out their activities. This phenomenon, limited mainly to urban areas, has spread heterogeneously across cities. The paper focuses on the location of CSs in Barcelona, Warsaw and Utrecht, three European cities that differ in terms of the typology of creation of these workspaces. In the three analysed cities, CSs are mainly private initiatives, although in Barcelona they are developed by small entrepreneurs, while in Warsaw they are developed by large multinational CS chains. Using K-density (Kd) functions and density maps, we contribute to the empirical literature by identifying how CSs coagglomerate with the service sectors, how CSs are concentrated in core areas of each city and how these factors differ between cities, taking into account the typology of CSs. We found that the CS location and coagglomeration depend on the spatial structure of the city and its development model; therefore, policymakers should take this into account in order to implement appropriate policy measures to attract CSs • CSs agglomerate differently in cities with different levels of urban hierarchy and reveal different CSs location strategies. • The coagglomeration of CSs with Knowledge Intensive Services (KIS) and symbolic knowledge base firms has been confirmed. • Market and high tech KIS with CSs build an urban entrepreneurial ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient clouds cause rapid changes in the power output of Photovoltaic (PV) solar systems. These ramp rates may lead to power quality problems, such as voltage fluctuations, in the low-voltage (LV) electricity grid. This paper firstly assesses the impact of a growing number of distributed PV systems on the voltage profile in a LV grid by considering PV penetration rates of 40%, 70% and 100% of the local rooftop capacity. Next, the potential of active power curtailment, grid reinforcement and supercapacitors to prevent or mitigate these voltage fluctuations are examined. The experiments in this study are based on simulations run with a two-second time resolution for an urban LV grid located in Utrecht, the Netherlands. This study identifies that problematic fluctuations occur already at a 40% PV penetration rate and are expected up to 7.4% of time for a 100% PV penetration scenario. Additionally, the local deployment of either active power curtailment or supercapacitors are identified as adequate strategies to regulate the occurring voltage fluctuations. Finally, the most stable voltage profile and the lowest number of problematic voltage fluctuations are found in case of adopting supercapacitors as part of the PV system. • An assessment of the impact of PV power output on the power quality in the low voltage grid. • A PV penetration of 40% will already cause problematic voltage fluctuations in the considered low voltage grid. • A numerical comparison among three different regulation strategies for mitigating rapid voltage fluctuations. • Grid reinforcement, active power curtailment and supercapacitors reduce the magnitude of voltage fluctuations. • Supercapacitors are most successful in mitigating problematic voltage fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper surveys written and pictorial sources on two examples of severe storms in the Netherlands and in Austria in Early Modern Times. A cultural-historical tool is proposed to investigate the human dimension of the storm consequences. The retrospective analysis of a tornado (1674, Utrecht) and a previously rediscovered hailstorm (1796, Abtenau) illustrate the approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]