JOURNAL: Using spatial imaginaries to understand contested senses of place and just transitions in decarbonising industrial regions
Summary
Authors:
Huei-Ling Lai
Patrick Devine-Wright
Jo Hamilton
University of Exeter
National Sun Yat-sen University
Using spatial imaginaries to understand contested senses of place and just transitions in decarbonising industrial regions
Global Environmental Change
June 2026
The climate crisis has prompted governments to use industrial clusters to decarbonise carbon-intensive industries and revitalise declining regions. While research has explored the role of sense of place in sustainability transitions, its implications for just industrial transitions remain underexamined. Using spatial imaginaries, this paper investigates contested net zero senses of place among government and industry stakeholders and communities in 3 emerging UK industrial clusters. The findings reveal a stark contrast between optimistic policy and industry visions and communities’ more ambivalent experiences shaped by extractive. These tensions fuel scepticism towards decarbonisation, highlighting the need for inclusive place-making and co-produced net zero futures.