Anticipatory climate governance: Limits to current practices in Montreal

Abstract

City leadership appears key in driving the transition towards a liveable future. Trying to bring specific visions of the future into present decisions and actions is what anticipatory governance is about. However, the literature has highlighted a lack of discussion of the use of anticipatory practices in urban climate governance. What anticipatory practices do cities employ to tackle climate change and work towards a desirable future? What limitations does it involve? The City of Montreal provides an effective case study as, recently, it has been the locus of large projects representative of the three dominant approaches of climate action–climate planning, carbon control and reporting and experimentation. Our results indicate that traditional tools such as reporting, urban planning regulations and bylaws are the strategies urban actors rely on to advance towards desirable futures. And yet, they seem to be missing opportunities to act in the present for these desirable futures, especially to increase equity in urban climate action. This research offers a concrete and empirical exploration of cities’ anticipatory practices regarding climate change, ultimately contributing to the literature on anticipatory urban climate governance.