Exploring Alternatives or Shaping Policies? Transition Arenas in Advancing Sustainability Transitions

Abstract

In environmental research, the past two decades have witnessed a growing interest in the co-production of knowledge, with promises such as increasing the impact of research and generating more context-specific knowledge. Transition arena is one methodological approach where a carefully facilitated process gathers participants representing different perspectives to co-create future pathways and identify actions needed to achieve desired transformations. This article focuses on the different political contexts and types of outcomes produced in transition arenas. In Finland, at least fifteen transition arena processes have been carried out since 2016, addressing transition phenomena ranging from the preparation of national sustainable development and biodiversity strategies to the local implementation of neighbourhood energy retrofits and circular economy initiatives. Through examples, we show how transition arenas can be divided into four distinct emphases: arenas for opening alternatives, arenas for shaping policies, arenas for understanding systemic change, and arenas for fostering experiments. These four types of transition arenas illustrate the diverse ways in which this form of knowledge co-production can be used to bring together different people and perspectives, build shared understanding, and co-create future pathways even in contested domains.