Driving, Cities and Changing Climates

Abstract

The relevance of cars in relation to changing climates seems indisputable: scientific evidence points out the significant contribution of cars globally in causing greenhouse gas emissions. Despite higher levels of general public understanding and concern about climate change, this has not generally resulted in decreased car use. This paper outlines how a spatial perspective drawing on a cultural economy approach may provide insights into the paradox of the environmental 'value action gap' by focusing on suburban belongings, passions and anticipations derived from driving. Drawing on insights from Burraneer Bay, an affluent Sydney suburb, the paper illustrates how habituated and embodied knowledge of driving props up class envy, the spatial bordering of the city and the transformation of a love of driving into driving as love, underpinned as much by a desire to consume as by the performance of an identity. The implications for urban policy are considered that look beyond culture as attitudes.

Young adult households and domestic sustainabilities

“…For instance, all generations reported low levels of public or active transport use (B61, 62), reflecting the Illawarra's low-density design and urban morphology unconducive to cycling and walking. Socio-cultural affordances of cars including comfort, safety, privacy and reduced commuting time also influence transport decisions (Waitt and Harada, 2012). In some cases, generations shared concerns over cost and the environment in Such practices included purchasing energy efficient appliances (B23); decreasing their energy (B17) and car use over the previous 12 months (B55); using their own bags when shopping (B28); and never using clothes dryers (B11).…”

Gender, ethnicity and sustainable mobility: a governmentality analysis of migrant Chinese women’s daily trips in Sydney

“…the intersections between gender and everyday mobility (Hanson 2010;Kent 2015;Waitt and Harada 2012).These intersections are not only fundamental to family life but also to questions of sustainability. This paper contributes an ethnically diverse lens to discussions of sustainability and gendered mobilities by discussing the experiences of a particular group of migrants -women who were born in China, but now live in car-dependent Sydney.…”

On working relations with the citizen

“…For as much as the scheme embeds an eclectic mix of economic and also psychological theory (Waitt and Harada 2012), it represents a mode of government that seeks to conduct the citizen's behaviour by working through things -things that are assumed to be passive and malleable. The implementation of congestion charging depended upon the Tromsø citizens' consent, and the authorities did indeed appeal to the responsible, environmentally conscious person for support.…”

“…The ideas represented in this literature are clearly recognizable in climate governance, where their often eclectic application is reflected in the design of measures as well as in evaluations of how to correct and improve current governmental efforts (Shove 2010a;Waitt and Harada 2012). They constitute, in a manner of speaking, the common sense of a state whose different agencies and bodies seek to mitigate climate change by inducing its citizens to behave differently.…”