Environmental Sustainability and Energy Transition: Guiding Principles of the New Models of Urban Governance in Pamplona (Spain)

Abstract

Local governments in European cities are modifying their urban governance models in order to alleviate the impacts of the neoliberal model that has prevailed for decades, and to achieve more sustainable and socially cohesive cities. Cities such as Pamplona (Spain) have become a reference point, both nationally and internationally, for their policies on implementing renewable energies and combating energy poverty. Regardless of the ruling party, a city model that is committed to energy transition prevails. In this article we will analyse the energy improvement project carried out in the social housing neighbourhood of Txantrea. To this end, an analysis of the technical documentation of the project was carried out to learn about the actions and processes that were developed, as well as semi-structured interviews with political actors and municipal technicians to learn about the model of government and the main lines of action. This also allowed us to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the project. This work has revealed changes in the policies and projects of some cities that are committed to sustainability and improving the quality of life of citizens, where energy efficiency is becoming one of the commitments of local governments as a way to achieve their objectives, as well as to renew the built urban fabric.