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Local strategic planning processes and sustainability transitions in infrastructure sectors
Author(s) -
Truffer Bernhard,
Störmer Eckhard,
Maurer Max,
Ruef Annette
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
environmental policy and governance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.987
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1756-9338
pISSN - 1756-932X
DOI - 10.1002/eet.550
Subject(s) - futures studies , sustainability , context (archaeology) , reflexivity , sanitation , transition management (governance) , order (exchange) , business , strategic planning , value (mathematics) , environmental resource management , environmental planning , process management , management science , economics , engineering , computer science , sociology , marketing , geography , finance , ecology , social science , archaeology , artificial intelligence , environmental engineering , machine learning , biology
Sustainability transitions have repeatedly been demanded in various economic sectors to confront global environmental problems. The present paper analyses the role of strategic planning processes for improving the prospects of achieving sustainable transitions in infrastructure sectors. Current planning approaches in these sectors tend to perpetuate the established socio‐technical configurations by neglecting context uncertainties, by ignoring radical system alternatives and by focusing on narrow value considerations. In order to improve the prospects for sustainable transitions, more reflexive and discursive strategic planning methods are needed. We present the ‘Regional Infrastructure Foresight’ methodology as a specific procedural proposal and analyse results from its application to a case study in the Swiss sanitation sector. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.