CONTROVERSIES

The future of cars: triumph or decline?

Francis Papon , Mathieu Flonneau

13/01/2017

Over the last decade, the future of cars has been at the heart of controversy that has been the subject of numerous prospective studies. This controversy is not about the need for an energy transition – whose advent is no longer a subject of debate - but more about the role of cars in the future. Should the use of cars be called into question? What policies should be implemented? What should the role of cars be?

CONTROVERSIES

Living environments and leisure mobility: challenging the compact city

Sébastien Munafò, Marc Pearce (Mobile Lives Forum)

28/11/2016

Should we advocate for the compact city? Geographer Sébastien Munafò defends the indispensability of this model, particularly for its environmental qualities and the urbanity it fosters. Marc Pearce of the Mobile Lives Forum, on the other hand, feels it is crucial to consider, instead, many lifestyles in presence in city areas such as Geneva or Zurich and the diversity of living environments they require.

CROSSED PERSPECTIVES

Motility and viscosity: a new understanding of mobility for better policy making

Vincent Kaufmann, Catherine Doherty

07/06/2016

Through the study of mobility practices in Australia and European countries, sociologists Catherine Doherty and Vincent Kaufmann develop two different but complementary analyses of mobility potential on an individual and contextual level. Will these new concepts help further our understanding of mobility practices and renew public action in very different national contexts? Both authors feel this will be the case and explain why.

CROSSED PERSPECTIVES

Questioning art and social science crossovers

Ursula Biemann, Valérie Pihet

14/03/2016

Valérie Pihet and Ursula Biemann discuss the crossovers between artistic creation and scholarly research in the field of mobility. Either working together, or in parallel, these two disciplines have a significant contribution to make in terms of the public debate.

Thematics : Theories

LIVRES

The Hypothesis of the Mobility Transition

Javier Caletrío

10/12/2015

Written forty five years ago, "The Hypothesis of the Mobility Transition" prefigures aspects of the mobility turn and outlines the kind of macro systemic approach to transitions that scholars today have identified as a blank spot in the research agenda.

Thematics : Theories

LIVRES

New Mobilities Regimes in Art and Social Sciences - by Suzanne Witzgall, Gerlinde Vogl and Sven Kesserlig

Guillaume Logé

25/11/2015

The book New Mobilities Regimes in Art and Social Sciences (Ashgate Publishing, 2013), developed under the direction of Susanne Witzgall, Gerlinde Vogl and Sven Kesserling, follows the conference-exhibition entitled Tracing the New Mobilities Regimes that took place at the Akademie Bildenden Künste in Munich in 2008.

Thematics : Theories

CONTROVERSIES

Multi-Level Perspective and Theories of Practice: a mistaken controversy?

Dale Southerton, Matt Watson

25/11/2015

In the thriving field of sustainability transitions, an interesting discussion has flourished about the merits of and relationship between two analytical approaches, known as multi-level models of innovation and theories of social practice.

LIVRES

The Dynamics of Social Practice: Everyday Life and how it Changes - by Elizabeth Shove, Mika Pantzar and Matt Watson

Javier Caletrío

23/11/2015

*The Dynamics of Social Practice* argues that policy interventions addressing the challenges of sustainability must be grounded in an understanding of the dynamics of what people do. It outlines methods of analysing and conceptualizing the dynamics of social practice and argues that this conceptual approach enables a different policy imagination and opens new questions about the allocation of responsibility in processes of social change.

Thematics : Lifestyles, Theories

CROSSED PERSPECTIVES

Changing behaviour for a low-carbon future

Matt Watson, Frédéric De Coninck

28/10/2015

British geographer Matt Watson and French sociologist Frédérick De Coninck discuss the role of practices in reducing our carbon footprint. Can taking into account people’s daily constraints more seriously be the key to developing more effective policies and hastening the transition towards low-carbon mobility?

LIVRES

"The world we made. Alex McKay’s story from 2050" by Jonathon Porritt

Javier Caletrío

21/05/2015

The World We Made is an original contribution to the literature on environmental futures that seeks to inspire positive action by conveying a sense of possibility while at the same time illustrating how radical systemic change may unfold in the coming decades.

Thematics : Lifestyles, Policies, Theories

CROSSED PERSPECTIVES

Internet, territories and centralities

Benjamin Bayart, Boris Beaude

16/04/2015

Boris Beaude, a geographer, and Benjamin Bayart, an engineer and ardent supporter of freedom of expression, discuss the tensions that have arisen concerning the internet, the main platform for virtual mobility. Designed as something without a centre, which could not be fully controlled and would free people from regional limitations, the internet seems unable to deliver on these promises – as a result of pre-existing constraints.

LIVRES

Code / Space: Software and everyday life - by Rob Kitchin et Martin Dodge

Javier Caletrío

24/03/2015

Code / Space furthers social analyses of information and communication technologies by questioning what these technologies do and how they are programmed for this. It analyses how software helps create new mobilities and spaces of everyday life and its implications for both greater creativity and new modes of controlling populations.

Thematics : Lifestyles, Policies, Theories