Place and Scale in Sustainability Transitions
(2026) p.389-402- Abstract
In today’s world of increasing spatial inequalities, geopolitical tensions and global shifts in value chains, having a solid grasp of the spatial and multi-scalar dynamics that condition transition dynamics is of ever more importance. Initial theories of sustainability transitions have been criticised for being insufficiently equipped to assess the benefits, conflicts and unevenness that are constituted by the territorial contexts in which transitions dynamics and pathways unfold. Questions how sustainability transitions emerge across places and scales were largely off the radar. Interest and engagement with geographical dimensions of sustainability transitions grew however quickly into a prominent sub-field, characterised by a fruitful... (More)
In today’s world of increasing spatial inequalities, geopolitical tensions and global shifts in value chains, having a solid grasp of the spatial and multi-scalar dynamics that condition transition dynamics is of ever more importance. Initial theories of sustainability transitions have been criticised for being insufficiently equipped to assess the benefits, conflicts and unevenness that are constituted by the territorial contexts in which transitions dynamics and pathways unfold. Questions how sustainability transitions emerge across places and scales were largely off the radar. Interest and engagement with geographical dimensions of sustainability transitions grew however quickly into a prominent sub-field, characterised by a fruitful trading zone populated by geographers, transition scholars and other social scientists seeking to better account for place specificity, multi-scalarity, and spatial unevenness. This chapter outlines the contours of the Geography of Sustainability Transitions (GeoST) wider theoretical research agenda and ongoing debates, framing these specifically around conceptualisations of place and scale.
(Less)
- author
- Coenen, Lars LU ; Binz, Christian LU ; Murphy, James T. and Truffer, Bernhard
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-01-01
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- geography, place and scale, sustainability transitions
- host publication
- Introduction to Sustainability Transitions Research
- pages
- 14 pages
- publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105037788485
- ISBN
- 9781009437318
- 9781009437325
- DOI
- 10.1017/9781009437318.028
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2026.
- id
- f4e188a5-804c-4f20-9a20-908138832ddb
- date added to LUP
- 2026-07-15 10:51:58
- date last changed
- 2026-09-23 15:44:24
@inbook{f4e188a5-804c-4f20-9a20-908138832ddb,
abstract = {{<p>In today’s world of increasing spatial inequalities, geopolitical tensions and global shifts in value chains, having a solid grasp of the spatial and multi-scalar dynamics that condition transition dynamics is of ever more importance. Initial theories of sustainability transitions have been criticised for being insufficiently equipped to assess the benefits, conflicts and unevenness that are constituted by the territorial contexts in which transitions dynamics and pathways unfold. Questions how sustainability transitions emerge across places and scales were largely off the radar. Interest and engagement with geographical dimensions of sustainability transitions grew however quickly into a prominent sub-field, characterised by a fruitful trading zone populated by geographers, transition scholars and other social scientists seeking to better account for place specificity, multi-scalarity, and spatial unevenness. This chapter outlines the contours of the Geography of Sustainability Transitions (GeoST) wider theoretical research agenda and ongoing debates, framing these specifically around conceptualisations of place and scale.</p>}},
author = {{Coenen, Lars and Binz, Christian and Murphy, James T. and Truffer, Bernhard}},
booktitle = {{Introduction to Sustainability Transitions Research}},
isbn = {{9781009437318}},
keywords = {{geography; place and scale; sustainability transitions}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{01}},
pages = {{389--402}},
publisher = {{Cambridge University Press}},
title = {{Place and Scale in Sustainability Transitions}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781009437318.028}},
doi = {{10.1017/9781009437318.028}},
year = {{2026}},
}