Facilitating policy change for low-carbon mobility - A network approach

This paper presents a mixed methods approach to understanding the role of situated agency in multilevel and networked governance systems, combining network and discourse analyses. The paper is based on second-stage analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected within the frames of the research project entitled Facilitating policy change for low-carbon mobility: The Role of Multilevel Governance, funded by the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS). The project takes the case of the multilevel governance of transport decarbonisation in the United Kingdom, focusing on the city regions of Cambridge and Birmingham, with the analysis aiming at exposing areas where governance networks could be better facilitated to enable effective and transformative policy change towards low-carbon mobility. Analyses of multilevel governance systems, consisting of societal actors operating at and between different political-organisational scales (supra-national, national, regional, local), is a growing area of focus in transport studies. However, the majority of studies focus on the formal, structural characteristics of multi-level systems, such as the diversity and number of institutions involved in decision-making, and their authority and responsibilities. Interpretive accounts exploring the perceived positions of actors within multilevel and networked settings, and associated beliefs and narratives, are still lacking. In this paper we argue that is a crucial gap in understanding how different actors plot courses of action, influence network dynamics and ultimately affect policy change. In order to support this argument, we bring evidence from two city regions in the UK: Birmingham and Cambridge. Despite crucial differences in terms of urban form, density, local economies and governance arrangements, both city regions are grappling with high car dependency, congestion, air pollution and high emissions from transport. Quantitative (organisational) network analysis is used to reveal disjunctures between network structures as understood formally and as understood by the actors themselves. Formal networks are reconstructed from written sources such as organisational websites, municipal reports and policy documents, and previous studies. Informal networks are reconstructed from data gathered through interviews with key actors, including elected politicians, policymakers from local transport authorities, regional energy distributors, transport operators, infrastructure developers, charities and activist groups. Qualitative discourse analysis (based on both secondary and primary sources) is used in tandem to uncover how context-specific beliefs and narratives of these actors contribute to their views on their positions within the network, and their perceived ability to affect change. The network and discourse analyses highlight a variety of different causes and perspectives on governing transport decarbonisation in the two city regions. However, they also call attention to an important similarity: difficulties with mobilising civil society, and working with activist groups and community organisations to deliver transformative change. This is a common issue despite the prevalence of ‘partnership’ rhetoric, and the abundance of community initiatives, in both places. Prioritising building better relationships with influential activist groups and community organisations may therefore facilitate more effective governance towards low-carbon mobility. Our research in turn highlights the value of network analysis as a method to identify such influential organisations and opportunities for intervention.