Energy landscapes and urban trajectories towards sustainability

An urban energy transition is needed to address the two global environmental challenges of urbanisation and increasing carbon emissions. Urban energy landscapes represent the spatial patterns of urban energy systems which are visible in the built environment. Spatial regularities in the way systems of energy provision and use are organised are manifest in urban energy landscapes. Energy uses may vary in relation to the structures of the built environment, and the perceptions that coevolve with technologies.This paper presents evidence from three case studies of urban energy landscapes in Hong Kong (PRC), Bengaluru (India) and Maputo (Mozambique). The cases suggest a variety of patterns (uniform, fragmented, scattered) in terms of how different fuels and electricity are provided and who has access to them. Qualitative research among policy makers reveals different trajectories towards sustainability. The paper concludes with the suggestion that the spatial organisation of urban energy systems shapes potential trajectories of change for an urban energy transition. This would call for forms of spatial planning that promote flexibility as a means to foster sustainability innovations. However, further evidence will be required to evaluate whether this exploratory analysis can be generalised beyond the three cities studied

Symbolic violence and the politics of environmental pollution science: The case of coal ash pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Environmental justice movements often contest environmental knowledge by engaging in scientific debates, which implies accepting the predominance of scientific discourses over alternative forms of knowledge. Using Bourdieu's concept of symbolic violence, this paper warns that the engagement with hegemonic forms of knowledge production may reproduce, rather than challenge, existing social and environmental inequalities. The argument is developed with reference to a case study of coal ash pollution in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The case study shows that the construction of knowledge in a scientific project led to the exclusion of local definitions of the situation and the dismissal of their observations of environmental pollution. The case suggests that the capacity of different actors to put forward their interpretation of an environmental issue depends on the forms of symbolic violence that emerge within hegemonic discourses of the environment. © 2012 The Author. Antipode© 2012 Antipode Foundation Ltd

Viewpoint: Planning for climate change in the African city

In this viewpoint I argue for a perspective on climate change in African cities that focuses on challenges and also opportunities for action. Delivering climate change adaptation in cities in the first instance requires addressing immediate infrastructure and service provision needs, because increasing climate change resilience in cities also requires improving the delivery of services to all citizens. However, there is a risk that climate change discourses facilitate the deployment of technocratic, expert-led forms of planning, particularly when climate change is used as an excuse to facilitate the intervention of international planning consultants who most often know little about the local context of planning. This paper advocates instead approaches to climate change action that harness opportunities on the ground to engage with the creative potential that urban citizens already have and to draw attention to the need to develop planning skills from within the city

Infrastructures, processes of insertion and the everyday: towards a new dialogue in critical policy studies

This forum argues that the complex assemblages of infrastructures, and their reproduction in our everyday worlds, offer a privileged lens through which to explore the practices of much of what critical policy studies holds dear. It draws attention to processes of insertion that reproduce infrastructure in everyday lives, arguing that such processes cast new light on the work of the state, governance, and democratic struggles. It discerns three avenues as a means of exploring such infrastructural processes: first, an invitation to transcend the physical form and reflect on infrastructural temporalities; second on the transformation of spatial governance and policy through infrastructure; and third, a re-assessment in the relationship between infrastructures and the ‘modernist ideal’. Through these avenues, light can be shed on the often ‘hidden’ practices of policymaking. We conclude by calling for a dialogue across diverse disciplines, side-stepping embedded divides between academics-activists, cities-towns, and the global south-north

Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research: Finding the common ground of multi-faceted concepts

Inter- and transdisciplinarity are increasingly relevant concepts and practices within academia. While various definitions exist, a clear distinction between inter- and transdisciplinarity remains difficult. Although there is a wide consensus about the need to define and apply these approaches, there is no agreement over definitions. Building on data collected during the first year of the COST Action TD1408 “Interdisciplinarity in research programming and funding cycles” (INTREPID), this paper describes both tensions and common ground about the characteristics and building blocks of interand trans-disciplinarity. Drawing on empirical data from participatory workshops involving INTREPID network members coming from 27 different countries, the paper shows that diverse definitions of inter and trans-disciplinarity coexist within scientific literature and in the mind of researchers and practitioners. The understanding about the involvement of actors outside of academia also differs widely across scientific communities irrespective of disciplinary training or the research subjects. The focus should be on the knowledge that is required to deal with a specific problem, rather than discussing “if” and “how” to integrate actors outside the academia, and collaboration should start with joint problem framing. This diversity is, however, not an absolute obstacle to practice, since the latter is made possible through building blocks such as knowledge domains, problem- and solution- oriented approaches, common goals, as well as target knowledge. In order to move towards more effective inter- and transdisciplinary research, we identify the need for trained interdisciplinarity facilitators and ‘accompanying research’ (derived from the Danish term ‘følgeforskning’). These two roles can be essential to inter- and transdisciplinarity practices including the promotion of reflexivity

Viewpoint: Planning for climate change in the African city

In this viewpoint I argue for a perspective on climate change in African cities that focuses on challenges and also opportunities for action. Delivering climate change adaptation in cities in the first instance requires addressing immediate infrastructure and service provision needs, because increasing climate change resilience in cities also requires improving the delivery of services to all citizens. However, there is a risk that climate change discourses facilitate the deployment of technocratic, expert-led forms of planning, particularly when climate change is used as an excuse to facilitate the intervention of international planning consultants who most often know little about the local context of planning. This paper advocates instead approaches to climate change action that harness opportunities on the ground to engage with the creative potential that urban citizens already have and to draw attention to the need to develop planning skills from within the city

Energy sovereignty and development planning: The case of Maputo, Mozambique

Energy sovereignty refers to people's capacity to take decisions about energy planning. It emphasises the role of energy services in everyday life. This refers both to the quality of energy services and the inequalities in service provision. Energy sovereignty supports policy agendas to deliver energy access in local settings. It is an alternative to energy security. Energy security casts energy planning at the national level. In contrast, energy sovereignty brings energy questions close to people's homes. This paper focuses on Chamanculo C, a neighbourhood in Maputo (Mozambique). The analysis illustrates three dimensions of energy sovereignty. First, energy sovereignty emphasises a reciprocal relationship between society and ecosystems. Second, energy sovereignty advocates self-determination in relation to business models and technologies. Third, energy sovereignty promotes participation in decision making and innovation. Development planning scholars can deliver an innovative research agenda on energy sovereignty. This should be an action-oriented agenda. It should emphasise opportunities to form partnerships and enhance collaboration. It should put social justice at the centre of energy debates