Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

6-2019

Abstract

Scholars have argued that transitions to more sustainable and just mobilities require moving beyond technocentrism to rethink the very meaning of mobility in cities, communities, and societies. This paper demonstrates that such rethinking is inherently political. In particular, we focus on recent theorisations of commoning practices that have gained traction in geographic literatures. Drawing on our global comparative research of low‐carbon mobility transitions, we argue that critical mobilities scholars can rethink and expand the understanding of mobility through engagement with commons–enclosure thinking. We present a new concept, “commoning mobility,” a theorisation that both envisions and shapes practices that develop fairer and greener mobilities and more inclusive, collaboratively governed societies. Our analysis introduces three “logics” of mobility transition projects. First, the paper discusses how a logic of scarcity has been a driver for mobility planning as the scarcity of oil, finance, space, and time are invoked across the world as stimuli for aspiring to greener, “smarter,” and cheaper mobilities. The paper then identifies two responses to the logic of scarcity: the logics of austerity and the logics of commoning. Austere mobilities are examined to problematise the distribution of responsibility for emissions and ensuing injustices and exclusion in low‐carbon transitions. The logics of commoning shows a potential to reassess mobility not only as an individual freedom but also as a collective good, paving the way for fairer mobility transitions and a collaborative tackling of sustainable mobility challenges.

Keywords

Amsterdam, austerity, commons, mobilities, Santiago, transition

Discipline

Eastern European Studies | Geography | Urban Studies and Planning

Research Areas

Humanities

Publication

Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers

Volume

44

Issue

2

First Page

346

Last Page

360

ISSN

0020-2754

Identifier

10.1111/tran.12287

Publisher

Wiley

Embargo Period

9-30-2020

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12287

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