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Identifying the "Usual Suspects" - Assessing Patterns of Representation in Local Environmental Initiatives
[journal article]
Abstract An increasing body of literature explores the role of transnational municipal networks (TMNs) in governing sustainable development. As associations, one key task of TMNs is to represent their members through production and dissemination of information and knowledge concerning municipal action for su... view more
An increasing body of literature explores the role of transnational municipal networks (TMNs) in governing sustainable development. As associations, one key task of TMNs is to represent their members through production and dissemination of information and knowledge concerning municipal action for sustainable development. Case studies, often emphasising best practice, are used by many TMNs to fulfil this task. Nevertheless, despite strong scrutiny concerning the use of case studies in “policy mobilities” research, there have been limited attempts to quantify the ways in which TMNs present and disseminate case studies and, by doing so, generate trends of presence and absence in literature on sustainable development. Assessing patterns of representation for continents, countries, municipalities and themes across nine international case study collections published by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability since 1991, this study responds to this research gap and identifies the presence of “usual suspects” in the ICLEI case study collections, along with notable absentees. By doing so, the study contributes to policy mobilities research and literature on TMNs, by encouraging reflection and further research concerning the representation patterns influencing which municipalities and what topics are presented in discourses on sustainable development.... view less
Keywords
sustainable development; urban development; environmental protection; international cooperation; network
Classification
Ecology, Environment
Free Keywords
ICLEI; TMNs; case studies; comparative urbanism; municipalities; urban sustainability
Document language
English
Publication Year
2016
Page/Pages
p. 1-14
Journal
Challenges in Sustainability, 4 (2016) 2
ISSN
2297-6477
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed