Materiality and sustainability transitions: integrating climate change in transport infrastructure in Ontario, Canada

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Volume 34, Issue 3-4

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Materiality and sustainability transitions: integrating climate change in transport infrastructure in Ontario, Canada

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Author(s): Kean Birch

Publication date (Print): 1 September 2016

Journal: Prometheus

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

Infrastructure threatens to lock-in societies to fossil fuels unless something is done now. This is because infrastructure lasts for such a long time, meaning that any infrastructure built or rebuilt now will last well into the twenty-first century – until the end of the century, in some cases. Consequently, there is a need to integrate climate change into infrastructure now or societies will be left with infrastructure designed around unsustainable socio-technical systems (such as combustion engines, roads, and suburbanization). Such change is conceptualized in the literature as a sustainability transition. However, any attempts at such transitions have to address the ‘materialities’ of infrastructure systems (physical form, environmental context, and so on). In this paper, I develop the concept of ‘socio-material systems’ and apply it to transport infrastructure in Ontario, Canada.

Content

Author and article information

Contributors

Kean Birch

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.2307/j50022063

Journal ID (jcode): prometheus

Title: Prometheus

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN: 0810-9028

ISSN: 1470-1030

Publication date (Print): 1 September 2016

Volume: 34

Issue: 3-4 ( doiID: 10.1080/prometheus.34.issue-3-4 )

Pages: 191-206

Affiliations

Innovation Policy Lab, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

Article

Publisher ID: 08109028.2017.1331612

DOI: 10.1080/08109028.2017.1331612

SO-VID: 49a8b381-91bd-4d3d-9b25-4b6294f6906a

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Computer science,Arts,Social & Behavioral Sciences,Law,History,Economics

References

Birch, K. (2013) ‘The political economy of technoscience: an emerging research agenda’, Spontaneous Generations: A Journal for the History and Philosophy of Science, 7, 1, pp.49-61.
Birch, K. and Calvert, K. (2015) 'Rethinking 'drop-in' biofuels: on the political materialities of bioenergy', Science and Technology Studies, 28, 1, pp.52-72.
Birch, K. and Siemiatycki, M. (2016) ‘Neoliberalism and the geographies of marketization: the entangling of state and markets’, Progress in Human Geography, 40, 2, pp.177-98.
Birch, K. and Wudrich, D. (2013) ‘Climate change, sustainable infrastructure and the challenge facing engineers’, Engineering Dimensions, Sept/Oct, pp. 46-48.
Birch, K. and Wudrich, D. (2015) ‘(Re)building sustainable infrastructure: the implications for engineers’, in Lipsig-Mumme, C. and McBride, S. (eds) Work in a Warming World, McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, pp.125-141.
Bulkeley, H., Castan Broto, V., Hodson, M. and Marvin, G. (2011) ‘Cities and low carbon transition’, European Financial Review, 14 August.
Bulkeley, H., Castan Broto, V. and Maassen, A. (2013) ‘Low-carbon transitions and the reconfiguration of urban infrastructure’, Urban Studies, 51, 7, pp.1471-86.
Calvert, K., Kedron, P., Baka, J. and Birch, K. (2017) ‘Geographical perspectives on sociotechnical transitions and emerging bio-economies: introduction to a special issue’, Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, 29, 5, pp.477-85.
Coenen, L., Benneworth, P. and Truffer, B. (2012) ‘Towards a spatial perspective on sustainability transitions’, Research Policy, 41, 6, pp.968-79.
Corfee-Morlot, J., Marchal, V., Kauffmann, C., Kennedy, C., Stewart, F., Kaminker, C. and Ang, G. (2012) Towards a Green Investment Policy Framework: The Case of Low-carbon, Climate-resilient infrastructure, OECD Environment Working Paper 48, OECD Publishing, Paris.
CSA (2010) Climatic Information Requirements of Built Infrastructure Codes and Standards and their Users, Canadian Standards Association, Toronto.
CSA (2012) National Survey of Canada's Infrastructure Engineers about Climate Change, Engineers Canada and CSA Group, Ottawa.
FCM (2011) Building Canada's Green Economy: The Municipal Role, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Ottawa.
FCM (2012) The Road to Jobs and Growth: Solving Canada's Municipal Infrastructure Challenge, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Ottawa.
Frantzeskaki, N. and Loorbach, D. (2010) ‘Towards governing infrasystem transitions’, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 77, 8, pp.1292-1301.
Frantzeskaki, N. and Koppenjan, Joop (2012) ‘Sustainability transitions and their governance: lessons and next-step challenges’, International Journal of Sustainable Development, 15, 1/2, pp.173-86.
Furlong, K. (2010) ‘Small technologies, big change: rethinking infrastructure through STS and geography’, Progress in Human Geography, 35, 4, pp.460-82.
Geels, F. (2002) ‘Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a multi-level perspective and case study’, Research Policy, 31, pp.1257-74.
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Geels, F. and Schot, J. (2007) ‘Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways’, Research Policy, 36, 3, pp.399-417.
Graham, S. and Marvin, S. (2001) Splintering Urbanism, Routledge, Abingdon.
Hughes, T. (1983) Networks of Power, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
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Kemp, R. and Rotmans, J. (2009) ‘Transitioning policy: co-production of a new strategic framework for energy innovation policy in the Netherlands’, Policy Sciences, 42, pp.303-22.
Lawhon, M. and Murphy, J. (2012) ‘Socio-technical regimes and sustainability transitions: insights from political ecology’, Progress in Human Geography, 36, 3, pp.354-78.
MacLeod, D. (2011) Adaptation to a Changing Climate: City Infrastructure Preparedness, City of Toronto, Toronto.
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NRC (2007) From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa.
NRTEE (2009) True North: Adapting Infrastructure to Climate Change in Northern Canada, National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy, Ottawa.
Shove, E. and Walker, G. (2007) ‘CAUTION! transition ahead: politics, practice, and sustainable transition management’, Environment and Planning A, 39, 4, pp.763-70.
Star, S. (1999) ‘The ethnography of infrastructure’, American Behavioral Scientist, 43, 3, pp.377-91.
Sturm, T. and Oh, E. (2010) ‘Natural disasters as the end of the insurance industry? Scalar competitive strategies, alternative risk transfers, and the economic crisis’, Geoforum, 41, 1, pp.154-63.
Truffer, B. and Coenen, L. (2012) ‘Environmental innovation and sustainability transitions in regional studies’, Regional Studies, 46, 1, pp.1-21.
Tyfield, D. (2014) 'Putting the power in 'socio-technical regimes' – E-mobility transition in China as political process', Mobilities, 9, 4, pp.585-603.
Unruh, G. (2000) ‘Understanding carbon lock in’, Energy Policy, 28, pp.817-30.
Winfield, M. (2012) Blue-Green Province: The Environment and the Political Economy of Ontario, University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver.

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Birch, K. (2013) ‘The political economy of technoscience: an emerging research agenda’, Spontaneous Generations: A Journal for the History and Philosophy of Science, 7, 1, pp.49-61.

[2] Birch, K. and Calvert, K. (2015) 'Rethinking 'drop-in' biofuels: on the political materialities of bioenergy', Science and Technology Studies, 28, 1, pp.52-72.

[3] Birch, K. and Siemiatycki, M. (2016) ‘Neoliberalism and the geographies of marketization: the entangling of state and markets’, Progress in Human Geography, 40, 2, pp.177-98.

[4] Birch, K. and Wudrich, D. (2013) ‘Climate change, sustainable infrastructure and the challenge facing engineers’, Engineering Dimensions, Sept/Oct, pp. 46-48.

[5] Birch, K. and Wudrich, D. (2015) ‘(Re)building sustainable infrastructure: the implications for engineers’, in Lipsig-Mumme, C. and McBride, S. (eds) Work in a Warming World, McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, pp.125-141.

[6] Bulkeley, H., Castan Broto, V., Hodson, M. and Marvin, G. (2011) ‘Cities and low carbon transition’, European Financial Review, 14 August.

[7] Bulkeley, H., Castan Broto, V. and Maassen, A. (2013) ‘Low-carbon transitions and the reconfiguration of urban infrastructure’, Urban Studies, 51, 7, pp.1471-86.

[8] Calvert, K., Kedron, P., Baka, J. and Birch, K. (2017) ‘Geographical perspectives on sociotechnical transitions and emerging bio-economies: introduction to a special issue’, Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, 29, 5, pp.477-85.

[9] Coenen, L., Benneworth, P. and Truffer, B. (2012) ‘Towards a spatial perspective on sustainability transitions’, Research Policy, 41, 6, pp.968-79.

[10] Corfee-Morlot, J., Marchal, V., Kauffmann, C., Kennedy, C., Stewart, F., Kaminker, C. and Ang, G. (2012) Towards a Green Investment Policy Framework: The Case of Low-carbon, Climate-resilient infrastructure, OECD Environment Working Paper 48, OECD Publishing, Paris.

[11] CSA (2010) Climatic Information Requirements of Built Infrastructure Codes and Standards and their Users, Canadian Standards Association, Toronto.

[12] CSA (2012) National Survey of Canada's Infrastructure Engineers about Climate Change, Engineers Canada and CSA Group, Ottawa.

[13] FCM (2011) Building Canada's Green Economy: The Municipal Role, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Ottawa.

[14] FCM (2012) The Road to Jobs and Growth: Solving Canada's Municipal Infrastructure Challenge, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Ottawa.

[15] Frantzeskaki, N. and Loorbach, D. (2010) ‘Towards governing infrasystem transitions’, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 77, 8, pp.1292-1301.

[16] Frantzeskaki, N. and Koppenjan, Joop (2012) ‘Sustainability transitions and their governance: lessons and next-step challenges’, International Journal of Sustainable Development, 15, 1/2, pp.173-86.

[17] Furlong, K. (2010) ‘Small technologies, big change: rethinking infrastructure through STS and geography’, Progress in Human Geography, 35, 4, pp.460-82.

[18] Geels, F. (2002) ‘Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a multi-level perspective and case study’, Research Policy, 31, pp.1257-74.

[19] Geels, F. (2004) ‘Understanding system innovations: a critical literature review and a conceptual synthesis’ in Elzen, B., Geels, F. and Green, K. (eds) System Innovation and the Transition to Sustainability: Theory, Evidence and Policy, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp.19-47.

[20] Geels, F. and Schot, J. (2007) ‘Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways’, Research Policy, 36, 3, pp.399-417.

[21] Graham, S. and Marvin, S. (2001) Splintering Urbanism, Routledge, Abingdon.

[22] Hughes, T. (1983) Networks of Power, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

[23] Hughes, T. (1987) ‘The evolution of large technological systems’ in Bijker, W., Hughes, T. and Pinch, T. (eds) The Social Construction of Technological Systems, MIT Press, Cambridge MA, pp.51-82.

[24] Infrastructure Canada (2006) Adapting Infrastructure to Climate Change in Canada's Cities and Communities, Infrastructure Canada, Ottawa.

[25] Kemp, R. and Rotmans, J. (2009) ‘Transitioning policy: co-production of a new strategic framework for energy innovation policy in the Netherlands’, Policy Sciences, 42, pp.303-22.

[26] Lawhon, M. and Murphy, J. (2012) ‘Socio-technical regimes and sustainability transitions: insights from political ecology’, Progress in Human Geography, 36, 3, pp.354-78.

[27] MacLeod, D. (2011) Adaptation to a Changing Climate: City Infrastructure Preparedness, City of Toronto, Toronto.

[28] Markard, J. (2010) ‘Transformation of infrastructures: sector characteristics and implications for fundamental change’, Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 17, 3, pp.107-117.

[29] McCormick, K., Anderberg, S., Coenen, L. and Neij, L. (2013) ‘Advancing sustainable urban transformation’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 50, pp.1-11.

[30] Mees, H.-L. and Driessen, P. (2011) ‘Adaptation to climate change in urban areas: climate-greening London, Rotterdam, and Toronto’, Climate Law, 2, pp.251-80.

[31] Mitchell, T. (2011) Carbon Democracy, Verso, London.

[32] MOECC (2015) Ontario's Climate Change, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Toronto.

[33] Monstadt, J. (2009) ‘Conceptualizing the political ecology of urban infrastructures: insights from science and technology studies’, Environment and Planning A, 41, pp.1924-42.

[34] NRC (2007) From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa.

[35] NRTEE (2009) True North: Adapting Infrastructure to Climate Change in Northern Canada, National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy, Ottawa.

[36] Shove, E. and Walker, G. (2007) ‘CAUTION! transition ahead: politics, practice, and sustainable transition management’, Environment and Planning A, 39, 4, pp.763-70.

[37] Star, S. (1999) ‘The ethnography of infrastructure’, American Behavioral Scientist, 43, 3, pp.377-91.

[38] Sturm, T. and Oh, E. (2010) ‘Natural disasters as the end of the insurance industry? Scalar competitive strategies, alternative risk transfers, and the economic crisis’, Geoforum, 41, 1, pp.154-63.

[39] Truffer, B. and Coenen, L. (2012) ‘Environmental innovation and sustainability transitions in regional studies’, Regional Studies, 46, 1, pp.1-21.

[40] Tyfield, D. (2014) 'Putting the power in 'socio-technical regimes' – E-mobility transition in China as political process', Mobilities, 9, 4, pp.585-603.

[41] Unruh, G. (2000) ‘Understanding carbon lock in’, Energy Policy, 28, pp.817-30.

[42] Winfield, M. (2012) Blue-Green Province: The Environment and the Political Economy of Ontario, University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver.