Urban Energy Dynamics as a Regenerative Framework: Integrating Urban Physics and Circular Economy for Climate-Resilient Indian Cities (Case of Lucknow)
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Cities are not only expanding rapidly but are also becoming hotter, more energy-intensive, and increasingly unequal in how these conditions are experienced. In many Indian cities, rising temperatures and energy demand are closely linked to the physical organisation and functioning of urban areas. While contemporary planning increasingly emphasises resilience, such approaches can remain oriented towards coping with environmental stress rather than transforming the systems generating it. This study examines Urban Energy Dynamics (UED) as a regenerative planning framework, using Lucknow as a case study. The research integrates Local Climate Zones (LCZ), land surface temperature, Urban Heat Island (UHI) intensity, built-up density, water presence, and spatial energy-consumption patterns to examine the relationship between urban form, heat and energy.The analysis identifies substantial spatial variation in land surface temperature and UHI intensity across Lucknow, with land surface temperatures ranging from 26.8°C to 43.7°C. The results indicate that dense built-up areas tend to accumulate greater thermal stress and energy burden. Based on these spatial relationships, the study develops a Regenerative Urban Energy Model that connects thermal reduction, energy efficiency and circular resource use. The paper further introduces Thermodynamic Carrying Capacity as a conceptual planning threshold for identifying conditions beyond which urban systems become increasingly unsustainable. The study contributes a spatially grounded framework for moving Indian cities from climate adaptation alone towards the active regeneration of environmental and energy performance.
Authors: Tiwari, Srajati, Shukla, Deepika
Institution: School of Planning and Architecture Delhi
Topic: Urban Heat Island Mitigation
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204779025
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