Energy transition as a catalyst for spatial and socio-political transformation: Exploring the role of planning and design in the dispersed urban context of Flanders

Flanders’ dispersed urbanization patterns were facilitated and reproduced by ubiquitous and isotropic networks for electricity and gas distribution. Today this energy-intensive landscape is running into its spatial, ecological and societal limits. Meanwhile, the transition to more sustainable energy systems introduces potentially transformative logics, as energy configurations and governance models become more spatially selective and diverse. Proximity between source and demand, density and function mix become relevant again, while individual energy consumership and centralized governance can be replaced with more collective energy arrangements. In this research I use Flanders’ particular territorial context to investigate this spatially and sociopolitically transformative potential of energy transitions. I explore how spatial planning and design can contribute to energy transitions that activate more qualitative spatial development and more inclusive forms of energy governance.

Drawing from transition theory, urban metabolism studies, and planning and design literature, I propose a conceptual framework to describe the relations
between energy system transformation, territorial morphology and energy governance. Three empirical chapters illustrate how the spatial and political
implications of energy transitions play out on different scales and in different energy domains. They are based on a combination of qualitative and designerly research methods, including spatial mapping and scenario workshops, in-depth interviews, document analysis and participant observation.

I conclude that planning and design have a key role to play, to imagine, visualize and facilitate collective energy strategies, that connect technical energy solutions with other territorial and societal challenges. At the same time, I expose how a serious governance deficit at the Flemish level hinders the implementation of promising transformative energy strategies at the scale of neighbourhoods and supra-local regions.