Cities shaping grassroots niches for sustainability transitions: Conceptual reflections and an exploratory case study

This paper discusses the crucial role cities play in the emergence and formation of grassroots socio-technical niches for sustainability transitions. Drawing on research engaged with strategic niche management, grassroots innovations and urban social innovations, it conceptualizes the interdependencies between urban contexts and grassroots niche dynamics, and explores a critical case in point: Current policy efforts in the city of Seoul to create, diversify and network social innovations in urban neighborhoods. The analysis illustrates the specific characteristics of innovative place-making activities in everyday-life urban environs and how empowerment, proximity and institutional thickness enable them to meet basic conditions for niche formation in terms of networking, shared expectations and social learning, while also raising new questions of inclusion, legitimacy and strategy. In conclusion, four issues are highlighted that appear to decisively impact on the formation of urban grassroots niche and related sustainability transition pathways: 1) Urban empowerment capacities, 2) Embedded holistic innovation, 3) Novel community-oriented governance modes, and 4) Urban niche/regime interactions. These issues thus require particular attention in future research and policy in order to guide the coevolution of cities and urban grassroots initiatives towards sustainability. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.