Resistance against zero-emission neighbourhood infrastructuring: key lessons from Norway
Emneord (Nøkkelord):
infrastructure, change management, overcoming resistance, net zero carbon, decarbonisation, cities, neighbourhood, socio-material, climate mitigation, NorwaySammendrag
This article analyses non-trivial resistances encountered in the implementation of zero emission neighborhoods in Norway, based on eight years of living lab experiments and interviews with key stakeholders. Drawing on a socio-material approach to infrastructuring, the study identifies three distinct categories of resistance: tensions between professional groups – particularly between energy and construction sectors, resistance ‘from above’ through lack of political and regulatory support, and resistance ‘from below’ by local stakeholders and future users. The analysis reveals that these resistances go beyond simple opposition to change, instead reflecting deep-seated professional practices, shifting political priorities, and local social contexts that compete with or contradict zero emission planning goals.
Practice relevance. For practitioners and policymakers, this study demonstrates that successful implementation of zero emission neighborhoods requires more than technical solutions and regulatory frameworks. The findings suggest that – at least in the Norwegian context – future zero emission planning must better integrate diverse professional expertise, particularly from energy and building experts but also from local planners and user groups, while developing strategies that can succeed with minimal state support. The study also highlights the importance of making climate change impacts on infrastructure more visible to generate public support. These insights can help practitioners design more inclusive and effective approaches to neighborhood-scale decarbonisation efforts.
Originally published as Berker, T. and Woods, R. (2025), “Resistance against zero-emission neighbourhood infrastructuring: key lessons from Norway”, Buildings & Cities, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 345–358. https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.522. Republished here as the author accepted manuscript.
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