Unlocking collective urban capacity through utopias

The project “Collaborating in the unknown: Investigating the energy transition in Vienna” aimed at better understanding how urban energy transitions are governed. We focused specifically on the mechanisms that support collaborations and collective action. Through interviews and document analysis, we studied the Viennese energy transition. To reach the ambitious target of carbon-neutrality by 2040, a variety of actors are working together despite high uncertainties on the means and context evolution.

With this case, we unveiled the importance of “multi-rational utopias” as a powerful mechanism that can unlock such urban collective action. Building on national and international frames, utopias create a clear but open goal that is easily translatable by a variety of actors. Although tensions can arise between these multiple translations, utopias allow at the same time for collective experimentations and collaborations. We show such collective dynamics can bring together traditional players and newcomers, with traditional players evolving in roles.