Operationalizing Urban Metabolism (UM) in Cities

This side event will discuss Urban Metabolism (UM) as a powerful framework of analysis to shape the development of cities. It will articulate the definition and utility of UM for city practitioners and illustrate the links between the study of urban metabolism and infrastructure development. It will also introduce key elements of UM, such as methodologies that have been developed to study it (e.g. Material Flows Analysis). The audience will be presented with evidence of effective partnerships (including the Global Initiative for Resource Efficient Cities) that are making gains in implementing urban metabolism at the local level. The UM approach is linked to the principles espoused by Policy Unit 8 and the New Urban Agenda.