Is post-growth a desirable basis for spatial sciences and planning? A critical view from a green growth perspective

Thomas Döring; Horst Zimmermann

doi:10.14512/rur.3011

Authors

Thomas Döring
Horst Zimmermann

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14512/rur.3011

Keywords:

Post-Growth, Green Growth, Spatial Planning, Spatial Development

Abstract

In the recent past, a growing number of voices within the spatial sciences have called for a departure from traditional economic considerations related to the current market and growth paradigm. Instead, they favour a post-growth economy approach. This can convey the impression that there is an immediate need for action in spatial development policy and planning in terms of providing a stronger post-growth orientation, which has not yet quite managed to establish itself across the board. Against this background and based on the existing trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection, this paper takes a critical look at the post-growth approach by contrasting it with the possibility of green growth. It concludes by considering some implications of this comparative analysis for the spatial sciences and spatial planning.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Achten, S.; Leßmann, C.; Steinkraus, A. (2018): Die Umwelt-Kuznets-Kurve und internationaler Handel. In: ifo Dresden berichtet 25, 1, 29–31.

Akbostanci, E.; Türüt-Asik, S.; Tunc, G.I. (2009): The Relation between Income and Environment in Turkey: Is there an Environmental Kuznets Curve? In: Energy Policy 37, 3, 861–867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2008.09.088

Apergis, N.; Ozturk, I. (2015): Testing Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis in Asian Countries. In: Ecological Indicators 52, 16–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.11.026

ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft (2021): Postwachstum und Raumentwicklung – Denkanstöße für Wissenschaft und Praxis. Hannover. = Positionspapier aus der ARL 122.

Beckerman, W. (1992): Economic Development and the Environment: Conflict or Complementarity? Washington, DC. = World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 961.

Behrens, A.; Giljum, S.; Kovanda, J.; Niza, S. (2007): The Material Basis of the Global Economy. Worldwide patterns of natural resource extraction and their implications for sustainable resource use policies. In: Ecological Economics 64, 2, 444–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.02.034

Binswanger, H.C. (2013): The Growth Spiral. Money, Energy, and Imagination in the Dynamics of the Market Process. Berlin. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31881-8

Black, S.; Parry, I.; Vernon-Lin, N. (2023): Fossil Fuel Subsidies Surged to Record US‑D 7 Trillion. Washington, DC.

Bloom, D.E.; Fan, V.Y.; Kufenko, V.; Ogbuoji, O.; Prettner, K.; Yamey, G. (2021): Going beyond GDP with a parsimonious indicator: Inequality-adjusted healthy lifetime income. In: Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 19, 127–140. https://doi.org/10.1553/populationyearbook2021.res1.1

Bowen, A.; Hepburn, C. (2012): Prosperity with Growth: Economic Growth, Climate Change and Environmental Limits. London. = Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment Working Paper 93.

Bridge, G. (2009): Material Worlds: Natural Resources, Resource Geography and the Material Economy. In: Geography Compass 3, 3, 1217–1244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8198.2009.00233.x

Brunnengräber, A.; Haas, T. (2020): Der Verkehr in der Transformation. In: Brunnengräber, A.; Haas, T. (Hrsg.): Baustelle Elektromobilität. Sozialwissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf die Transformation der (Auto‑)Mobilität. Bielefeld, 13–33. https://doi.org/10.14361/9783839451656-002

Cosme, I.; Santos, R.; O’Neill, D.W. (2017): Assessing the Degrowth Discourse: A Review and Analysis of Academic Degrowth Policy Proposals. In: Journal of Cleaner Production 149, 321–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.02.016

D’Alisa, G.; Demaria, F.; Kallis, G. (2014), Degrowth. A Vocabulary for a New Era. London.

Daly, H.E. (1996): Beyond Growth. The Economics of Sustainable Development. Boston.

Daly, H.E. (2010): From a failed-growth economy to a steady-state economy. In: Solutions 1, 37–43.

Dasgupta, P. (2021): The Economics of Biodiversity – The Dasgupta Review. London.

Davidson, J.P.L.; Gavris, M. (2025): Towards a Degrowth Transition: Bringing Interests Back In. In: New Political Economy 30, 1, 48–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/13563467.2024.2389506

de la Maisonneuve, C.; Oliveira Martins, J. (2014): The future of health and long-term care spending. In: Economic Studies 1, 61–96. https://doi.org/10.1787/eco_studies-v2014-1-en

Demary, V.; Schaefer, T. (2023): Mit Digitalisierung zu klimaneutralem Wachstum und Wohlstand. In: Wirtschaftsdienst 103, 7, 450–453. https://doi.org/10.2478/wd-2023-0132

Denzau, A.T.; North, D.C. (1994): Shared Mental Models – Ideologies and Institutions. In: Kyklos 47, 1, 3–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6435.1994.tb02246.x

Dinda, S. (2004): Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis: A Survey. In: Ecological Economics 49, 4, 431–455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2004.02.011

Döring, T.; Aigner-Walder, B. (2022): The Limits to Growth – 50 Years Ago and Today. In: Intereconomics 57, 3, 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-022-1046-5

ECO Austria – Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (2024): Wie viel Wachstum braucht es für die grüne Wende? Wien.

EMBER (2024): Global Electricity Review 2024. London.

Fitzpatrick, N.; Parrique, T.; Cosme, I. (2022): Exploring Degrwoth Policy Proposals: A Systematic Mapping with Thematic Synthesis. In: Journal of Cleaner Production 365, 132764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132764

Foley, J.; Daily, G.C.; Howarth, R.; Vaccari, D.A.; Morris, A.C.; Lambin, E.F.; Doney, S.C.; Gleick, P.H.; Fahey, D.W. (2010): Boundaries for a Healthy Planet. In: Scientific American 302, 4, 54–57.

GCEC – The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate (2014): Better Growth, Better Climate. The New Climate Economy Report. Washington, DC.

Ge, Y.; Zhi, Q. (2016): Literature Review: The Green Economy, Clean Energy Policy and Employment. In: Energy Procedia 88, 257–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2016.06.159

Giljum, S.; Lutter, S. (2015): Globaler Ressourcenkonsum – Die Welt auf dem Weg in eine Green Economy? In: Geographische Rundschau 67, 5, 10–15.

Haberl, H.; Wiedenhofer, D.; Virág, D.; Kalt, G.; Plank, B.; Brockway, P.; Fishman, T.; Hausknost, D.; Krausmann, F.; Leon-Gruchalski, B.; Mayer, A.; Pichler, M.; Schaffartzik, A.; Sousa, T.; Streeck, J.; Creutzig, F. (2020): A systematic review of the evidence on decoupling of GDP, resource use and GHG emissions, part II: synthesizing the insights. In: Environmental Research Letters 15, 065003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab842a

He, J.; Richard, P. (2010): Environmental Kuznets Curve for CO2 in Canada. In: Ecological Economics 69, 5, 1083–1093. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.11.030

Henzelmann, T.; Büchele, R.; Andrae, P.; Wiedermann, A. (2018): GreenTech made in Germany - Umwelttechnik-Atlas für Deutschland, Berlin.

Hickel, J. (2021): What Does Degrowth Mean? A Few Points of Clarification. In: Globalizations 18, 7, 1105–1111. https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2020.1812222

Hickel, J.; Kallis, G. (2020): Is Green Growth Possible? In: New Political Economy 25, 4, 469–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/13563467.2019.1598964

Hinterberger, F.; Giljum, S.; Omann, I.; Polsterer, N.; Stocker, A.; Burrell, L.; Campregher, C.; Fuchs, D.; Hartwig, F. (2013): Green Growth: From Labour to Resource Productivity. Wien.

Holtemöller, O. (2023): Markt, Umwelt und Wirtschaftswachstum – ein Trilemma? In: Wirtschaftsdienst 103, 7, 437–440. https://doi.org/10.2478/wd-2023-0129

Hussain, Z.; Mehmood, B.; Khan, M.K.; Tsimisaraka, R.S.M. (2022): Green Growth, Green Technology, and Environmental Health: Evidence From High-GDP Countries. In: Frontiers in Public Health 9, 816697. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.816697

Islar, M.; Koch, M.; Raphael, R.; Paulsson, A. (2024): Degrowth: A Path to Transformative Solutions for Socio-Ecological Sustainability. In: Global Sustainability 7, e20. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2024.13

Jackson, T. (2016): Prosperity without growth? Economics for a finite planet. London.

Jacobs, M. (2013): Green Growth. In: Falkner, R. (ed.): The Handbook of Global Climate and Environmental Policy. Oxford, 197–214. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118326213.ch12

Kallis, G. (2018): Degrowth. Newcastle upon Tyne.

Kallis, G.; Hickel, J.; O’Neill, D.W.; Jackson, T.; Victor, P.A.; Raworth, K.; Schor, J.B.; Steinberger, J.K.; Ürge-Vorsatz, D. (2025): Post-Growth: The Science of Wellbeing within Planetary Boundaries. In: Lancet Planetary Health 9, 1, e62-e78. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00310-3

Kenis, A.; Lievens, M. (2016): Greening the Economy or Economizing the Green Project? When Environmental Concerns Are Turned into a Means to Save the Market. In: Review of Radical Political Economics 48, 2, 217–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/0486613415591803

Kerschner, C.; Wächter, P.; Nierling, L.; Ehlers, M.-H. (2018): Degrowth and Technology: Towards feasible, viable, appropriate and convivial imaginaries. In: Journal of Cleaner Production 197, 2, 1619–1636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.147

Kleinhückelkotten, S.; Neitzke, H.-P.; Moser, S. (2016): Repräsentative Erhebung von Pro-Kopf-Verbräuchen natürlicher Ressourcen in Deutschland (nach Bevölkerungsgruppen). Dessau-Roßlau. = UBA-Texte 39/2016.

Leschke, M. (2015): Alternativen zur Marktwirtschaft. Ein kritischer Blick auf die Ansätze von Niko Paech und Christian Felber aus Sicht der konstitutionellen Ökonomik. Bayreuth. = Beiträge zur Jahrestagung des Ausschusses für Wirtschaftssysteme und Institutionenökonomik im Verein für Socialpolitik: „Marktwirtschaft im Lichte möglicher Alternativen“.

Lindner, F. (2023): Kein Wachstum ist auch keine Lösung. Eine Kritik an Degrowth- und Postwachstumsansätzen. In: Wirtschaftsdienst 103, 8, 564–569. https://doi.org/10.2478/wd-2023-0157

Livermore, M.A. (2014): The Meaning of Green Growth. Charlottesville. = University of Virginia Law School, Public Law and Legal Theory Research Paper Series 2014-12.

Martinez-Alier, J.; Pascual, U.; Vivien, F.-D.; Zaccai, E. (2010): Sustainable De-Growth: Mapping the context, criticisms and future prospects of an emergent paradigm. In: Ecological Economics 69, 9, 1741–1747. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.04.017

Meadows, D.H.; Meadows, D.L.; Randers, J.; Behrens III, W. (1972): The Limits to Growth. New York.

Munasinghe, M. (1999): Is Environmental Degradation an Inevitable Consequence of Economic Growth: Tunneling Through the Environmental Kuznets Curve. In: Ecological Economics 29, 1, 89–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(98)00062-7

Nelson, A.; Schneider, F. (2019): Housing for Degrowth. Principles, models, challenges and opportunities. New York.

Nordhaus, W.D. (1993): Reflections on the Economics of Climate Change. In: Journal of Economics Perspectives 7, 4, 11–25. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.7.4.11

OECD – Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2011): Towards Green Growth. Paris.

Paech, N. (2010): Eine Alternative zum Entkopplungsmythos: Die Postwachstumsökonomie. In: Humane Wirtschaft 205, 5, 12–14.

Paech, N. (2013): Befreiung vom Überfluss. Auf dem Weg in die Postwachstumsökonomie. München.

Parrique, T.; Barth, J.; Briens, F.; Kerschner, C.; Kraus-Polk, A.; Kuokkanen, A.; Spangenberg, J.H. (2019): Decoupling Debunked. Evidence and arguments against green growth as a sole strategy for sustainability. Brussels.

Petersen, T. (2023): Wachstum oder Schrumpfung? Eine Frage der Entkopplung. In: Wirtschaftsdienst 103, 7, 441-444. https;//doi.org/10.2478/wd-2023-0130

Petschow, U.; aus dem Moore, N.; Pissarskoi, E.; Bahn-Walkowiak, B.; Ott, H.E.; Hofmann, D.; Lange, S.; Korfhage, T.; Schoofs, A.; Wilts, H.; Best, B.; Benke, J.; Buhl, J.; Galinski, L.; Lucas, R.; Koop, C.; Werland, S.; Berg, H. (2020): Ansätze zur Ressourcenschonung im Kontext von Postwachstumskonzepten. Dessau-Roßlau. = UBA-Texte 98/2020.

Pothen, F.; Tovar Reaňos, M.A. (2018): The Distribution of Material Footprints in Germany. Mannheim. = ZEW Discussion Paper 18-022.

Priewe, J. (2022): Growth in the Ecological Transition: Green, Zero or De-Growth? In: European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies Intervention 19, 1, 19–40. https://doi.org/10.4337/ejeep.2022.01.04%0A

Randers, J. (2012): 2052 – A Global Forecast für the Next Forty Years. White River Junction.

Raworth, K. (2018): Doughnut Economics. Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist. London.

Renault, J.-F.; Schwietring, T. (2016): Übergang in eine Green Economy: Notwendige strukturelle Veränderungen und Erfolgsbedingungen für deren tragfähige Umsetzung in Deutschland. Dessau-Roßlau. = Umwelt, Innovation, Beschäftigung 03/2016.

Richardson, K.; Steffen, W.; Lucht, W.; Bendtsen, J.; Cornell, S.E.; Donges, J.F.; Drüke, M.; Fetzer, I.; Bala, G.; von Bloh, W.; Feulner, G.; Fiedler, S.; Gerten, D.; Gleeson, T.; Hofmann, M.; Huiskamp, W.; Kummu, M.; Mohan, C.; Nogues-Bravo, D.; Petri, S.; Porkka, M.; Rahmstorf, S.; Schaphoff, S.; Thonicke, K.; Tobian, A.; Virkki, V.; Wang-Erlandsson, L.; Weber, L.; Rockström, J. (2023): Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries. In: Science Advances 9, 37. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh2458

Savin, I.; van den Bergh, J. (2024): Reviewing Studies of Degrowth: Are Claims Matched by Data, Methods and Policy Analysis? In: Ecological Economics 226, 108324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108324

Savini, F. (2025): Strategic Planning for Degrowth: What, Who, How. In: Planning Theory 24, 2, 141–162. https://doi.org/10.1177/14730952241258693

Savini, F.; Ferreira, A.; von Schönfeld, K.C. (2022): Uncoupling Planning and Economic Growth: Towards Post-Growth Urban Principles. In: Savini, F.; Ferreira, A.; von Schönfeld, K.C. (eds.): Post-Growth Planning. Cities beyond the Market Economy. New York, 3–18.

Schmelzer, M. (2017): Jenseits des Wirtschaftswachstums? Einführung in die Begriffe und den Entstehungskontext der Postwachstumsbewegung. In: Nachrichten der ARL 47, 4, 8–10.

Schmelzer, M.; Vetter, A. (2019): Degrowth/Postwachstum zu Einführung. Hamburg.

Schmelzer, M.; Vetter, A.; Vansintjan, A. (2022): The Future is Degrowth. A Guide to a World beyond Capitalism. London.

Schneidewind, U. (2018): Die große Transformation. Eine Einführung in die Kunst gesellschaftlichen Wandels. Frankfurt am Main.

Schneidewind, U.; Zahrnt, A. (2014): The Politics of Sufficiency. Making it easier to live the Good Life. München.

Schulz, C.; Lange, B.; Hülz, M.; Schmid, B. (2022): Post-Growth Geographies. In: Lange, B.; Hülz, M.; Schmid, B.; Schulz, C. (eds.): Post-Growth Geographies. Spatial Relations of Diverse and Alternative Economies. Bielefeld, 15–34. https://doi.org/10.14361/9783839457337-003

Seidl, I.; Zahrnt, A. (eds.) (2012): Postwachstumsgesellschaft. Konzepte für die Zukunft. Marburg. = Ökologie und Wirtschaftsforschung 87.

Seidl, I.; Zahrnt, A. (Hrsg.) (2019): Tätigsein in der Postwachstumsgesellschaft. Weimar bei Marburg.

Steinkraus, A. (2017): Investigating the Effect of Carbon Leakage on the Environmental Kuznets Curve Using Luminosity Data. In: Environment and Development Economics 22, 6, 747–770. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355770X17000249

Stern, D.I.; Common, M.S.; Barbier, E.B. (1996): Economic Growth and Environmental Degradation. The Environmental Kuznets Curve and Sustainable Development. In: World Development 24, 7, 1151–1160. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(96)00032-0

Stiglitz, J.; Sen, A.; Fitoussi, J.P. (2010): Mismeasuring Our Lives. Why GDP Doesn’t Add Up. New York.

Susskind, D. (2024): We Must Change the Nature of Growth. In: Finance Development 61, 3, 44–48.

UN-DESA – United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2012): A Guidebook to the Green Economy. Issue 1: Green Economy, Green Growth, and Low-Carbon Development. New York.

Vadén, T.; Lähde, V.; Majava, A.; Järvensivu, P.; Toivanen, T.; Hakala, E.; Eronen, J.T. (2020): Decoupling for ecological sustainability. A categorization and review of research literature. In: Environmental Science and Policy 112, 236–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.06.016

Victor, P.A. (2010): Ecological Economics and Economic Growth. In: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1185, 1, 237-245. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05284.x

Vogel, J.; Hickel, J. (2023): Is green growth happening? An empirical analysis of achieved versus Paris-compliant CO2-GDP decoupling in high-income countries. In: The Lancet Planetary Health 7, 9, e759-e769. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00174-2

WBGU – Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen (2011): Welt im Wandel. Gesellschaftsvertrag für eine Große Transformation. Berlin.

World Bank (2012): Inclusive Green Growth. The Pathway to Sustainable Development. Washington, DC.

Yandle, B.; Vijayaraghavan, M.; Bhattarai, M. (2002): The Environmental Kuznets Curve. A Primer. Bozeman. = PERC Research Study 02‑1.