Urban climatological research informing environmental policy and planning in Fukuoka, Japan: What makes an epistemic community successful locally?

Abstract

Interest in knowledge politics driving urban environmental policy is growing. The aim of this paper is to assess the conditions that enable an epistemic community of experts to influence policy in a specific locality. We evaluate an epistemic community of urban climatology researchers in Fukuoka, Japan, who have successfully engaged with local policy despite documented knowledge circulation failures for urban climatology elsewhere. The research is based on a process tracing-derived methodology, analysing archival and documentary sources. Its results show the epistemic community has conducted observational and modelling-based research in Fukuoka over decades, networking with peers across Japan and globally and making recommendations for policy interventions locally through government expert committees and collaborative projects. These findings reflect the importance of professionalisation and modes of persuasion – especially visuals, such as maps showing heat islands – in explaining how epistemic communities come to be effective. We argue, however, that institutions constitute epistemic communities as well as individuals. The conclusions display, however, that even if an epistemic community is effective in influencing policy, this will not necessarily translate into practical interventions in the built environment. Understanding how epistemic communities define and measure their own ‘success’ is thus an area for future research.