Local residents’ perceptions of energy landscape: the case of transmission lines

Soini, Katriina; Pouta, Eija; Salmiovirta, Maija; Uusitalo, Marja; Kivinen, Tapani

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2010.06.009

Cited by 124 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Such visual impacts may also come with other collateral impacts, such as reducing property values, harming fauna and flora and being perceived to threaten health due to electromagnetic fields, which in turn usually also shape negative perceptions about these infrastructures (Elliott & Wadley, 2002;Soini et al, 2011). Recent cases of public opposition to high voltage power lines in the UK further corroborate those findings (e.g., Save Our Valley, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…These authors proposed a conceptual framework to understand the factors explaining acceptance or opposition for new powerlines that includes the role of aesthetics as a predictor of attitudes towards transmission lines and, through this, of acceptance or opposition. However, despite the fact that public opposition to high voltage power lines continues to exist and to have high visibility (DevineWright et al, 2010), the social and psychological aspects related with electricity networks in general have received little attention (see Soini et al, 2011) and, particularly, the visual impacts of pylons (Elliott & Wadley, 2002).…”

Section: Public Perceptions Of High-voltage Power Linesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regarding public acceptance of high voltage power lines, while the literature about this topic is relatively scarce , it has already highlighted that one of the main reasons for public opposition is the visual impact they have in landscapes and their scenic quality (Cotton & DevineWright, 2011;Devine-Wright, in press;Soini et al, 2011). Such visual impacts may also come with other collateral impacts, such as reducing property values, harming fauna and flora and being perceived to threaten health due to electromagnetic fields, which in turn usually also shape negative perceptions about these infrastructures (Elliott & Wadley, 2002;Soini et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Explaining public preferences for high voltage pylon designs: An empirical study of perceived fit in a rural landscape

Devine‐Wright

Batel

2013

Land Use Policy

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 The UK Government held a design competition for high voltage powerlines in 2011  We examine public preferences for conventional and alternative pylon designs  The winning design in the competition was the most preferred  But undergrounding is a more acceptable mitigation measure than alternative designs  This highlights the need for public discussion of different models of power supply *Highlights (for review) 1 ABSTRACTIn many countries, electricity transmission networks are being upgraded and developed arising from policies aiming to decarbonise energy systems.However, new power lines are often controversial, due to their perceived negative impacts on rural landscapes. Despite the fact that visual impacts are an important element of public objections, to date, little research has analysed public preferences for alternative pylon designs, as well as investigating the social and psychological factors that might explain such preferences. This paper sought to address this gap, informed by research on public acceptance of renewable energy technologies, using a survey conducted with a representative sample of UK adults (n = 1519). The findings indicate that the 'T-pylon' design, winner of a recent competition, was most strongly preferred and the one most perceived to fit with a rural landscape, by comparison to the conventional 'A frame' design and a 'Totem' design shortlisted in the competition. Linear regression analyses indicated three factors that explained perceived fit, regardless of the designs: lower levels of educational attainment, positive general attitudes towards transmission lines and higher levels of trust in National Grid were associated with positive perceptions of fit of the pylons in a rural landscape. Finally, findings concerning public support for diverse mitigation measures indicated that the use of alternative designs was less supported than burying new powerlines underground and routing pylons away from homes and schools. The implications of these results for more sustainable grid networks are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Public Perceptions Of High-voltage Power Linesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Explaining public preferences for high voltage pylon designs: An empirical study of perceived fit in a rural landscape

Devine‐Wright

Batel

2013

Land Use Policy

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“…Despite using spatial metaphors, however, the MLP has been criticized for failing to provide 'formal attention to space, place and geographical scale' (Bridge et al 2013, 333), resulting in efforts to think about energy transitions through an explicitly spatial heuristic. Correspondingly, the notion of 'energy landscape' -as a set of interconnected social, material and cultural elements nested in notions of place, community and identity -has been employed to highlight the mechanisms through which energy flows are spatially embedded while integrating social and physical systems (Blaschke et al 2013;Bouzarovski 2009;Castán Broto, Salazar, and Adams 2014;Soini et al 2011); and studies of urban energy policies have highlighted the presence of specific socio-technical constellations and power dynamics within the built structures of cities (Bulkeley, Luque-Ayala, and Silver 2014;Rohracher and Späth 2014).…”

Section: Revisiting the 'New Energy Paradigm' Via A Geographical Lensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple transformations: theorizing energy vulnerability as a socio-spatial phenomenon

Bouzarovski

Herrero

Petrova

et al. 2017

Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography

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The on-going transition towards low-carbon forms of energy provision (frequently termed 'energy transitions') has triggered far-reaching material, economic and institutional reconfigurations at the global scale. There is evidence to suggest that energy transitions increase the social vulnerability of actors involved in and affected by them, including entities operating at different scales, from individual households to entire states. However, the link between energy vulnerability and energy transitions remains poorly understood. We aim to formulate an explicitly geographical perspective on this relationship. The paper is based on an analysis of documentary evidence and 170 expert interviews undertaken between April 2013 and March 2015. This research took place in the post-communist states of Central and Eastern Europe where systemic change has fundamentally altered the institutional landscape of the energy sector since the early 1990s. Our findings point to the need for understanding energy vulnerability as an evolving socio-spatial phenomenon embedded in multiple layers of institutional change and organizational practice. We identify urban landscapes as the primary site for the geographic expression and articulation of domestic energy deprivation. ARTICLE HISTORY

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“…Environmental psychology studies have shown that the formation of local perception is often associated with living experiences, observed changes in an environment, and other factors varying with particular socio-cultural backgrounds [14][15][16][17]. Ecological boundaries in PBs or a RSOS can be viewed as the gradients of increasing risks of environmental disasters [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Downscaling Planetary Boundaries to Semi-Arid Ecosystems with a Local Perception: A Case Study in the Middle Reaches of Heihe River

et al. 2016

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Abstract:The middle reaches of Heihe River are located in the oasis of the Gobi Desert where limited freshwater supply supports more than 1.5 million inhabitants. The intense agricultural activities are depleting the groundwater reserve. Consequently, natural landscapes and habitats are degraded. Though such development improves the livelihood of the local community, long-term sustainability of the ecosystem is at risk. Local authorities must be informed holistically to prepare for adapting to the changes and/or mitigating the impacts. The purpose of this study was to perform a regional sustainability assessment based on downscaling the planetary boundaries (PBs). We proposed a regional safe operating space framework that applied a top-down approach using the environmental monitoring data, and a bottom-up approach using knowledge from the local perception about environmental disaster. We conducted on-site samplings and interviews of residents to demonstrate the method. Overall, we showed that the middle reaches had transgressed the safe operating space, particularly on the freshwater use and biogeochemical flow dimensions. We found that the local perception acquired from interviews complemented the insufficiency of the monitoring data and provided the insightful social implications of transgressing the safe operating space, i.e., the anticipated impacts on local livelihood, for policy support.

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Local residents’ perceptions of energy landscape: the case of transmission lines

Cited by 124 publications

References 43 publications

Explaining public preferences for high voltage pylon designs: An empirical study of perceived fit in a rural landscape

Explaining public preferences for high voltage pylon designs: An empirical study of perceived fit in a rural landscape

Multiple transformations: theorizing energy vulnerability as a socio-spatial phenomenon

Assessment of Downscaling Planetary Boundaries to Semi-Arid Ecosystems with a Local Perception: A Case Study in the Middle Reaches of Heihe River

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