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Accelerating energy transitions that are both sustainable and just remains an important challenge, and social innovation can have a key role in this transition. Here, we examine the diversity and potential of social innovation in energy systems transformation, synthesizing original mixed methods data from expert interviews, document analysis, social innovation experiments, a representative survey, and an expert survey. Based on a thematic analysis of these data, we advance four key findings: (1) the diversity of social innovation in energy is best understood when recognizing core social practices (thinking, doing, and organizing) and accounting for changes in social relations (cooperation, exchange, competition, and conflict); (2) governance, policy networks, and national context strongly shape social innovation dynamics; (3) processes of social innovation are implicated by multidimensional power relations that can result in transformative changes; and (4) social innovation in energy generally has strong social acceptance among citizens, benefits local communities and is legitimized in key community and city organizations. We discuss an agenda for 9 future research directions on social innovation in energy, and conclude with insights related to national context, governance, and acceleration.

This paper explores how power relations are manifested, altered and/or reproduced in processes of social innovations in energy transitions (SIE). We explore this research question by developing an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary power heuristic building on different dimensions of power: power to, power over and power with. This conceptual framework helps us analyse the power dynamics in multiple types of SIEs that aim to contribute to sustainable energy transitions across three different national contexts: Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom (UK). Our findings show how social innovation involves different dimensions of power to/over/with, and how power relations are both altered and reproduced. The cases under study also lead us to argue that understanding how power dynamics develop requires the analysis of the interplay between different power dimensions across the multiplicity of actors within different SIE-fields and their initiatives.

Accelerating energy transitions that are both sustainable and just remains an important challenge, and social innovation can have a key role in this transition. Here, we examine the diversity and potential of social innovation in energy systems transformation, synthesizing original mixed methods data from expert interviews, document analysis, social innovation experiments, a representative survey, and an expert survey. Based on a thematic analysis of these data, we advance four key findings: (1) the diversity of social innovation in energy is best understood when recognizing core social practices (thinking, doing, and organizing) and accounting for changes in social relations (cooperation, exchange, competition, and conflict); (2) governance, policy networks, and national context strongly shape social innovation dynamics; (3) processes of social innovation are implicated by multidimensional power relations that can result in transformative changes; and (4) social innovation in energy generally has strong social acceptance among citizens, benefits local communities and is legitimized in key community and city organizations. We discuss an agenda for 9 future research directions on social innovation in energy, and conclude with insights related to national context, governance, and acceleration.

This paper explores how power relations are manifested, altered and/or reproduced in processes of social innovations in energy transitions (SIE). We explore this research question by developing an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary power heuristic building on different dimensions of power: power to, power over and power with. This conceptual framework helps us analyse the power dynamics in multiple types of SIEs that aim to contribute to sustainable energy transitions across three different national contexts: Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom (UK). Our findings show how social innovation involves different dimensions of power to/over/with, and how power relations are both altered and reproduced. The cases under study also lead us to argue that understanding how power dynamics develop requires the analysis of the interplay between different power dimensions across the multiplicity of actors within different SIE-fields and their initiatives.

Urban gardens are focal in metropolitan social-ecological infrastructure and yet they are spaces often threatened by urban development. In Berlin and Warsaw, major urban changes have prompted citizens to alter their attitudes toward the use of existing garden areas. This study tackles the socio-spatial phenomena of emerging grassroots projects and practices jointly implemented by groups of allotment and community gardeners, which are instrumental in envisioning new forms of common management and protection of garden spaces along urban transformations. The article investigates how cooperation between gardeners of different backgrounds influences allotments’ patterns of property and public accessibility. The focus is on a possible change of perspective regarding the use of closed allotment structures and the conceptualisation of a new form of hybrid urban landscape: an integrated garden. Our findings fit into the general debate on gardens as commons and new forms of green space selfgovernance.

Der Garten in der Stadt – das ist mehr als nur eine Grünfläche, mehr als ein Ort der Erholung und ein Stück heile Welt. Seine Existenz aber ist bedroht. Großstädte in Deutschland und Europa wachsen kontinuierlich. Der Bauboom lässt erschlossenes Land knapper werden, Bodenpreise steigen. Ob traditionelle kleingartenparzelle oder moderner Gemeinschaftsgarten – sie sind wertvolles Bauland, vor allem in der Innenstadt. Um das Überleben des urbanen Gartens zu sichern, bedarf es der Kooperation der Klein- und Gemeinschaftsgärtner.