The politics of non-knowing in just mobility transitions

This BSP Urban Mobility Seminar will feature Dr. Anna Nikolaeva from the University of Amsterdam, who will discuss the politics of non-knowing in just mobility transitions. Her research outlines the relevance of the 'politics of non-knowing' lens for understanding and advancing just transitions towards low-carbon mobility. The ‘politics of non-knowing’ framework, developed by Ulrich Beck and Peter Wehling (2012), is used to analyse the politics implicated in societal debates on what is unknown and what should and can be known.

Using the case study of the datafication of cycling in four European cities, the study explores the epistemic effects of car-centrism and the role of smart technology in these discussions. It argues that mobility justice struggles are epistemic struggles involving not only competing knowledges but also competing framings of non-knowing. The research concludes by proposing a research agenda on the politics of non-knowing in just mobility transitions and presents an ongoing project on ignorance and gendered mobilities.

This event is part of the BSP Urban Mobility Research Seminar Series organised by the Bartlett School of Planning, UCL. The seminar will include a 45-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute Q&A discussion.

Speaker information

Anna Nikolaeva is Assistant Professor in Urban Planning at the University of Amsterdam. In her research, writing and teaching she engages with a variety of topics in urban planning and human geography, currently focusing on the intersections between low-carbon and just mobility transitions, gendered mobilities and the politics of knowledge in planning. Previously, she has worked at Utrecht University, Royal Holloway University of London and VU University Amsterdam.

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