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From Social Barriers to Transformative Planning in Energy Transitions: Learning from Norwegian Planners' Perspectives

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  • Bradley Loewen

    (Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)

Abstract

This study investigates social barriers in Norwegian urban energy projects from the planner’s perspective, bridging institutional and reflexive approaches in the field of planning. Compared to technological barriers encountered in the energy transition, social barriers have received relatively little attention. While the former implies a need for hard technological fixes, social barriers cross sectoral dimensions and can potentially be transformed through strategic action during the life of a project. When planning energy transitions under the popular guise of smart and sustainable cities, social barriers arise in the context of urban experimentation, which challenges institutional constructs, participatory planning principles, and knowledge. These aspects are addressed from the planner’s perspective through analysis of planners’ experiences in seven energy pilot and demonstration sites in Norway. The results identify categories of social barriers related to the understanding of a shared vision amongst stakeholders, lowered ambitions over the course of a project, lack of user involvement, and structural constraints to planning. A framework for a deeper understanding of social barriers is proposed, extending to the notion of planners’ transformative agency to support sustainability transitions, which has the potential for future enrichment through the addition of cases and application in other fields of sustainability transitions.

Suggested Citation

  • Bradley Loewen, 2024. "From Social Barriers to Transformative Planning in Energy Transitions: Learning from Norwegian Planners' Perspectives," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v9:y:2024:a:8158
    DOI: 10.17645/up.8158
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniela Baer & Bradley Loewen & Caroline Cheng & Judith Thomsen & Annemie Wyckmans & Alenka Temeljotov-Salaj & Dirk Ahlers, 2021. "Approaches to Social Innovation in Positive Energy Districts (PEDs)—A Comparison of Norwegian Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-21, June.
    2. Pierre Filion & Michelle Lee & Neluka Leanage & Kent Hakull, 2015. "Planners' Perspectives on Obstacles to Sustainable Urban Development: Implications for Transformative Planning Strategies," Planning Practice & Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(2), pages 202-221, April.
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