Cashmore, Matthew
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
The concept of sustainability transitions has become increasingly prominent in academic and policy discourses during recent decades, but the importance of the link between knowledge-producing epistemic practices and urban governance has been underappreciated in this discourse. Based on a case study of cycling in Copenhagen between 1900 and 2015, and drawing upon a governmentality-inspired analytical framework, this research demonstrates that transformative governance may be initiated by epistemic practices that render urban systems visible in other ways. Urban cycling has been reconstructed over time in Copenhagen as a traffic safety problem', a component of the experiential and liveable city, and a health-producing (and hence economically valuable) regional transport mode. The research findings emphasise that epistemic practices can provide a powerful stimulus for creating changes in urban governance. The results also provide support for initiatives to broaden the terms of academic debate on sustainability transitions.
Keywords
Sustainability transitions; urban systems; governance; governmentality; cycling
Published in
Environmental Politics
2017, volume: 26, number: 3, pages: 459-479
Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
SLU Authors
Global goals (SDG)
SDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
SDG13 Climate action
UKÄ Subject classification
Human Geography
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2017.1311089
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/82580