Two New Articles on Climate Politics and Citizen Engagement in Urban Environments

Ståle Holgersen’s article, CLASS, CLIMATE AND CITIES: Why is ‘Sustainability’ Most Popular at an Urban Scale?, published in the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, analyzes how the concept of sustainability is interpreted and practiced in urban environments. In his research, he discusses how social and economic factors influence both citizens’ attitudes and cities’ capacities to implement sustainable strategies. Holgersen notes that there is a clear connection between class, climate, and the unique challenges faced by urban areas, which leads to differing interpretations of sustainability depending on the context.

The second article, Popular Protest Movements, Political Attitudes and Democratic Climate Governance: Exploring the Dynamics in Four Scandinavian Cities, authored by Lukas Smas together with Trond Vedeld and Einar Braathen, published in Environmental Politics and Governance, focuses on how public protests and civic engagement impact climate politics in Scandinavia. The authors examine how political attitudes and collective action in four different cities interact, and how these factors can drive changes in democratic climate governance. The article highlights the importance of understanding the dynamics between protests and political decisions in effectively addressing the climate crisis.

Ståle Holgersen is Associate professor in Human Geography at Stockholm University.

Lukas Smas is Associate professor in Human Geography with a specialization in urban and Regional planning at Stockholm University.