Transitions across place and space – Spatial transitions in an Actor Network perspective

The empirical and theoretical frameworks of transitions focus mainly on specific scale of change e.g. local, regional or national transitions. One reason for this lack of an integrative framework of territorial and spatial distribution of transitions process is the ambition of transition framework to develop concepts to develop solutions for the economic, political and environment problems facing the societies. (Latour, 2005). Another reason is the lack of a coherent framework for understanding the relational dimensions of spatial distribution of transitions. Most often these are understood in a simple one dimensional framework based on geographical distance overlooking the social, economic and institutional dimensions. (Latour 2005, Boshma 2005, Knoben 2008)

Therefore the aim of this paper is to combine the transitions framework with a relational geographic perspective influenced by the actor network perspective in order to develop the spatial dimensions of transitions. The paper is based on an ongoing research project of spatial dimensions of the transitions in energy production and consumption networks in the northern part of Denmark. The paper show by using an actor network perspective, that interactions and relations in these networks in spite of their focus on proximity, locality and regional development are integrated in multiple scalar interactions. These multiscalar interactions and relations are mediated by objects and artefacts, and therefore they are often not seen as part of the networks.