The role of design in sustainable transitions: The case of mobility in Greater Copenhagen

Abstract

This article is an exploration of the role of design in sustainability transitions. Design has the potential to complement discussions on governance and actions related to transitions in the making, and activate scholars’ ability to critically assess existing technologies, technological components and systemic relations, and their capacity to propose alternatives. The authors draw on their engagement with the project ‘A Coherent Transport System for Greater Copenhagen 2050′, and on visioning for Copenhagen's future, with a special emphasis on discussions on mobility. The primary claim is that design can have a pivotal role in destabilizing existing regimes and creating systemic alternatives and transformative technologies and components. We propose a framework that focuses on three elements: the position of designing; integration across levels of design; and design-based criticism of the existing ‘de-scriptions’ to create new designs or ‘in-scriptions’.