Eco-metropolis planning conditioned by the growth ideology: the case of Greater Copenhagen Available to Purchase

The aim of this study is to analyse and show how the growth ideology conditions the eco-metropolis plans, thus hindering the transformation towards urban sustainability. Despite an unprecedented enthusiasm of cities in pursuing a sustainability agenda, environmental degradation and social inequality of most cities have proved to be worse. The paper first argues that the failure in reversing the trajectory of unsustainability is attributed to a pursuit of urban sustainable development paradigm that is conditioned by the growth ideology. This argument is supported by contrasting the growth ideology with the counter-hegemonic degrowth ideology in terms of how well-being, environmental sustainability and equity are interpreted and approached. Furthermore, in order to provide an insight on how urban development plans are committed to and shaped by the growth ideology the case of Greater Copenhagen is analysed and scrutinised. Drawing on the emerging degrowth debates, the study emphasises the importance of engaging with the ideological reflection by practitioners and briefly discusses how planners can take an active role in advancing a degrowth society.