IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i11p4490-d1402015.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dialogue and Disruption at the Doorstep: Participant Perceptions during a City Walk as a Climate Communication Format

Author

Listed:
  • Elisabeth Hartmann

    (Department of Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80333 Munich, Germany)

  • Katrin Geneuss

    (Department of Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80333 Munich, Germany)

  • Imke Hoppe

    (Department of Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80333 Munich, Germany)

Abstract

Since there is a broad empirical consensus that linear science communication focusing on disaster framing rarely empowers audiences and prompts transformative action, alternative climate communication formats are needed. This paper explores an alternative climate communication format, which integrates the issue into a local context (Munich, Germany) via transdisciplinary cooperation, specifically through collaboration with local climate educators and tapping into the scientific expertise of local stakeholders. The conceptualized format of a City Walk on the subject of climate justice addresses urban citizens and tests the effectiveness of climate justice as an alternative framing. Drawing on an accompanying empirical study with qualitative group discussions (n = 14, October 2023), this article explores how the format and framing are perceived by the participants. Based on these findings, we discuss the potentials and pitfalls of the format for transdisciplinary science communication. In summary, the City Walk deepened participants’ understanding of local climate justice—that is to say, how heat and flooding could amplify existing inequalities, and why adaptation and mitigation measures have not yet been implemented more thoroughly. Here, the crucial point is not whether the shift from climate change being a general topic to a personal one is supported by technical aspects of communication (e.g., virtual simulations). However, perceived local climate justice barriers (like bureaucracy) led participants to prioritize individual action (‘footprint’) over collective action (e.g., addressing local change). With these results, this study underlines the importance of new transdisciplinary formats for climate communication to address local change.

Suggested Citation

  • Elisabeth Hartmann & Katrin Geneuss & Imke Hoppe, 2024. "Dialogue and Disruption at the Doorstep: Participant Perceptions during a City Walk as a Climate Communication Format," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-18, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:11:p:4490-:d:1402015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4490/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4490/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Felix N. Fernando & Meg Maloney & Lauren Tappel, 2023. "Perceptions of Urban Community Resilience: Beyond Disaster Recovery in the Face of Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-21, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:11:p:4490-:d:1402015. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.