Speaker
Description
The development of urban infrastructures and services has historically followed a growth-oriented, path-dependent model, particularly in medium- and small-sized municipalities in peripheral European regions (Kirkpatrick & Smith, 2011; Næss, 2006). This trajectory, often reinforced by structural and economic changes linked to European Union integration, faces increasing challenges from environmental, social, and financial crises (Schneider et al., 2010; Jackson, 2009). These crises necessitate rethinking planning frameworks to address the unique constraints of medium-sized municipalities, often overlooked in favour of metropolitan and capital cities.
Post-growth and degrowth scholarship (Kallis, 2018) offers alternative approaches, emphasizing the need to decouple urban development from economic growth. While this research explores pathways for infrastructure transformation, particularly in housing, transport, and networked services (Savini & Bossuyt, 2022; Durrant et al., 2023), most studies focus on large cities (Demaria et al., 2013; Cerrada Morato, 2024). Consequently, the dynamics of medium-sized municipalities, including their ability to adopt and implement post-growth principles, remain underexplored (Cerrada Morato, 2025). Addressing this gap, our study examines the intersection of post-growth paradigms and the planning tools used to drive socio-technical transformations in these contexts.
Using a socio-technical lens (Geels, 2005), we analyze three medium-sized municipalities in a peripheral European region undergoing service transformation. Each municipality operates under a distinct post-growth paradigm, providing insights into how these paradigms influence the design and implementation of transformation strategies. Our findings reveal that opportunities for socio-technical innovation and adaptation are deeply tied to the guiding post-growth paradigm, highlighting the importance of context-sensitive approaches.
Bringing conceptual clarity to the post-growth debate is critical for advancing theoretical and practical urban planning frameworks. Recognizing the diversity of post-growth paradigms and their interconnections is essential for avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions and fostering resilience in medium-sized municipalities. Moreover, this clarity supports the development of planning tools tailored to the specific needs of these municipalities, promoting equitable and sustainable service systems (Hodson & Marvin, 2010; Swilling, 2011).
This study contributes to post-growth discourse by emphasizing the value of context-specific strategies and advocating for a more inclusive approach that integrates medium-sized municipalities into academic and policy debates. It advances understanding of how post-growth paradigms drive socio-technical transformations in urban infrastructure and service provision, addressing critical gaps in theory and practice.
References
Cerrada Morato, L. (2025). Learning from an Ordinary Suburban Post-Growth Struggle: Not by Design, Nor by Disaster. Built Environment. In press.
Durrant, D., Lamker, C., & Rydin, Y. (2023). The Potential of Post-Growth Planning: Re-Tooling the Planning Profession for Moving beyond Growth. Planning Theory & Practice, 24(2), 287–295.
Geels, F. W. (2005). Technological Transitions and System Innovations.
Hodson, M., & Marvin, S. (2010). Urbanism in the Anthropocene: Ecological Urban Resilience and Transition.
Jackson, T. (2009). Prosperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet.
Kirkpatrick, L. O., & Smith, M. P. (2011). The infrastructural limits to growth: Rethinking the urban growth machine in times of fiscal crisis. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 35(3), 477–503.
Rydin, Y. (2013). Future of planning: Beyond growth dependence. Policy Press.
Savini, F. (2021). Towards an urban degrowth: Habitability, finity and polycentric autonomism. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 53(5)
Schneider, F., Kallis, G., & Martinez-Alier, J. (2010). Crisis or opportunity? Economic degrowth for social equity and ecological sustainability.
Swilling, M. (2011). Rethinking the future of urban infrastructure: Finance and governance challenges in a shrinking world.
Xue, J. (2022). Urban planning and degrowth: a missing dialogue. Local Environment, 27(4)
| Keywords | post-growth paradigms; services and infrastructures, socio-technical transformation; medium-sized cities |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
