Background

The aim of this website is to discuss ideas, concepts, cases and stories introduced in the Routledge Sustainability Transitions book series. Students, practioners, scholars, professionals are invited to blog and respond. To facilitate the discussion, this website is connected with several social media sources: a linked-in community; a twitter account, and a youtube channel. Join us on any of these networks! Feel free to submit your own content and videoclips.

This site also contains a webshop to order the books of the series. Volume 1 can be ordered, and volumes 2-5 be pre-ordered with substantial reduction. click here for the order form.

Content of book series

The first book Transitions to Sustainable Development. New directions in the Study of Long Term Transformative Change is published in Spring 2010. Volume two, three, four and five are expected in 2011. The first book explores in depth the notion of transition. Books two to five explore and develop various concepts, insights and perspectives for transitions and innovations in the domains food and agriculture, healthcare and mobility. All books discuss and compare empirical cases from various countries in Western Europe. Volume six is in the making and more books may follow. Volume six discusses the Dutch transitions between 1850 and 2050. This volume is not yet available in the webshop, but you can find an appetizer below. 

Why transitions are needed?

Sustainability transitions are one of the great challenges of the 21th century. Both scientists and politicians agree on the fact that our system is in need of fundamental transformation. After WO II the western world realised in a few decades a welfare state with prosperity for most people. But around 1970 a growing number of groups expressed strong concerns about the social and environmental risks which have come along with that progress. Food crises, climate crises, financial and economic crises increased the sense of urgency. It is certain that sustainable development will require a set of deep structural changes of modern societies. Such processes of change are called transitions and take time, lots of time. For example: between 1750 and 1890 it took Western-Europe almost one and a half century to change itself into a modern industrial society. 

Inventor & sponsor

The book series is a spin-off of the KSI (Knowledge Network for System Innovation and Transitions) Foundation. KSI compromises over 80 researchers from a dozen of Dutch universities and research institutes with specific knowledge and expertise concerning transitions and systems innovations. For six years KSI developed a huge number of projects and research programmes to better understand, identify and influence the process of transitions. KSI also co-founded a competence center for transition practioners. In 2009 an international Sustainable Transitions Research Network (STRN) was founded. 

Harry Lintsen introduces the sixth volume: