TY - JOUR

T1 - The geography of sustainability transitions

T2 - Review, synthesis and reflections on an emergent research field

AU - Hansen, Teis

AU - Coenen, Lars

PY - 2015/12

Y1 - 2015/12

N2 - This review covers the recent literature on the geography of sustainability transitions and takes stock with achieved theoretical and empirical insights. The review synthesises and reflects upon insights of relevance for sustainability transitions following from analyses of the importance of place specificity and the geography of inter-organisational relations. It is found that these contributions focus on the geography of niche development rather than regime dynamics, and that there is an emphasis on understanding the importance of place-specificity at the local level. While there is a wide consensus that place-specificity matters there is still little generalisable knowledge about how place-specificity matters for transitions. Most contributions add spatial sensitivity to frameworks from the transitions literature, but few studies suggest alternative frameworks to study sustainability transitions. To address this, the review suggests promising avenues for future research on the geography of sustainability transitions, drawing on recent theoretical advancements in economic geography.

AB - This review covers the recent literature on the geography of sustainability transitions and takes stock with achieved theoretical and empirical insights. The review synthesises and reflects upon insights of relevance for sustainability transitions following from analyses of the importance of place specificity and the geography of inter-organisational relations. It is found that these contributions focus on the geography of niche development rather than regime dynamics, and that there is an emphasis on understanding the importance of place-specificity at the local level. While there is a wide consensus that place-specificity matters there is still little generalisable knowledge about how place-specificity matters for transitions. Most contributions add spatial sensitivity to frameworks from the transitions literature, but few studies suggest alternative frameworks to study sustainability transitions. To address this, the review suggests promising avenues for future research on the geography of sustainability transitions, drawing on recent theoretical advancements in economic geography.

KW - Geography

KW - Place

KW - Scale

KW - Space

KW - Sustainability transitions

U2 - 10.1016/j.eist.2014.11.001

DO - 10.1016/j.eist.2014.11.001

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84941180282

VL - 17

SP - 92

EP - 109

JO - Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions

JF - Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions

SN - 2210-4224

ER -