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| Title | "Smart" Cities And Dumb Solutions: The Risks Of Technology-Reliant Solutions For Decarbonisation In Japan |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 21 |
| Authors | Carlson J.T.; Trencher G. |
| Year | 2025 |
| Published | Smart Cities and Japan's Energy Transition: Past, Present, and Future |
| DOI | http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003471448-4 |
| Abstract | The Japanese state has ambitious plans for large-scale transformation of the energy system to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Associated policies explicitly identify smart cities as key arenas for incubating and demonstrating the roll-out of various "smart" technological solutions to energy problems and decarbonisation. Japan's smart city experiments are supported by industrial policy, with a particular emphasis on developing exportable technologies. However, the private players involved in shaping and implementing these projects are understandably prioritising the testing and diffusion of their preferred strategies for pursuing smart urbanism and decarbonisation. Moreover, this approach carries considerable risks for decarbonisation objectives, since reliance on sophisticated, costly, and unproven technologies and carbon-intensive new construction deprioritises mundane, existing solutions that can immediately reduce emissions. This chapter therefore examines the technological approaches Japan has taken in pursuit of decarbonisation in its smart cities to date. By focusing on three areas - mobility, energy management, and the built environment - we consider whether alternative approaches could provide equal or greater decarbonisation benefits. While our findings reveal some key successes, they especially highlight many areas where "dumb", low-tech, and surer solutions have a great potential to further contribute to decarbonisation efforts. Our chapter thus offers important insights for urban planners around the world. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Maciej M. Sokolowski and Fumio Shimpo. All rights reserved. |
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