Planning for Climate–Benign Cities – Design of a Mind Map for Smart Energy Transition

Abstract Local energy transition initiatives – as part of a broader climate-benign and sustainability policy – have become a focal point of future-oriented resource and environmental strategies. Place-based energy conversion however, has turned out to be a very complicated task, from both a governance and research perspective. The present study seeks to sketch out the contours of local sustainable energy planning, with a particular emphasis on (i) practical data and evidence-based information requirements, (ii) the involvement and engagement of citizens and stakeholders, and (iii) the great research potential provided by digital information technology. To that end, a comprehensive mind map for energy transition is depicted, inspired by first experiments in the city of Rotterdam.