In the wake of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, and the 1996 Habitat II Conference in Istanbul, the world experienced a worldwide movement addressing sustainable development. A period of technological optimism followed, stimulating urban renewal initiatives signposted by catchwords such as “transition town”, “virtual cities”, and “Oekostadt”. Reflecting growing sociospatial inequalities, and political polarization, the social dimension gradually became visible on the agenda advertised by labels such as “just city”, “healthy city”, and “inclusive city”. Today, “slim”, “slow”, “de-growth”, and “Lo-Tek” cities are among alternatives to the still strong technodigital strand of urban renewal visions. The Covid-19 pandemic turned things upside down. Adding climate change, the accelerating extinction of species, and the refugee crisis, humanity now finds itself in a “perfect storm” posing enormous challenges. Although world leaders are desperately fertilizing their economies with heaps of money to re-invent “the Great Acceleration”, there are in this “critical juncture” windows of opportunity to enter new paths. How do urban public institutions and actors in market and civil society respond to the pandemic and other crises? Do they just try to reinvent old ideas and practices, or do they search for healthier, more democratic and sustainable ways of handling major threats and risks? As the causes, effects, and adequate reactions are contested, there are no given solutions regarding how to “de-securitize” perceived threats one by one, no less together. Governance research has become strikingly multifaceted in terms of theory, methods, and empirical focus. This Special Issue of Sustainability asks for contributions addressing innovative governance responses to current epidemiological, social, ecological, political, and economic challenges. Encouraging theoretical and methodological plurality, the call welcomes contributions addressing urban renewal, governance, and sustainability ideas and practices in the form of conceptual reflections, single case studies, comparative studies or broader overviews in various national contexts.
Keywords: urban renewal; governance; crisis; risk; pandemic; window of opportunity; just city; healthy city; democratic city; sustainable city.