Drawing Lessons from Experience

In this chapter, strengths and weaknesses of institutional and “transition” initiatives/practices examined in previous sections of this book will be discussed, shedding light on what we can learn from current experiences. The first paragraph will focus in detail on large-scale climate strategies presented in Section 2, outlining the different approaches to climate issues, the weights assigned to mitigation and adaptation policies, and, above all, the main barriers hindering their effectiveness. The second and third paragraphs will focus on the case studies presented, respectively, in Sections 3 and 4. Strengths and weaknesses of the examined case studies will be presented in detail according to different research issues: the role of the three considered urban metaphors (Smart City, Resilient City, Transition Towns) in framing/supporting current practices; the present level of integration among mitigation and adaptation practices; the capacity to mainstream mitigation and adaptation practices into urban planning processes; the emerging governance models; and, above all, the factors currently hindering the cities' paths toward effective climate policies.