Finding new perspectives to suburban energy renovations from the transition arena method

Despite its name, the Transition Arena work has forced me to lift my head from my own tasks and look at the broader context and target audience of my work. Although "transition arena" sounds like a type of word monster, as a method, it's quite nice.

I joined the Decarbon-Home project in the spring of 2022 precisely because I wanted to participate in Transition Arena work. The Transition Arena is a multidisciplinary participatory method aimed at building societal change paths in various workshops. I was an easy target, as I had experience with the Transition Arenas of the Smart Energy Transition project, and my opinion of the method was therefore very positive. Joining in was also interesting because familiar researchers were involved, and we could rely on their ability to guide the process and their knowledge base in energy matters.

New perspectives

Through my work, I've been involved in promoting the energy transition for many years, but it's easy to get stuck in my own work and understanding of customers and context. Participating in Transition Arena workshops has been an easy way for me and my team to gain a broader understanding of the drivers and motivation logic of energy renovations in suburbs and what should be done differently. A good realization has been how much impact our city services in building control have on the implementation of energy projects and also on the operations of companies.

Transition Arena work has brought together the research community, businesses, municipal and state actors, and the knowledge of the target area, Mellunkylä. Through the perspectives of various participants, I've been able to understand both the political context of energy issues and practical decision-making through everyday life. Participation in the work has also resulted in new contacts, with whom we've discussed other matters, and with old acquaintances, we've also been able to strengthen our collaboration.

Who renovates and how it affects areal disparities?

In our energy counseling service for housing companies, we've aimed to make energy renovations as easy as possible for them. However, our service is always plagued by the fact that most inquiries come from Helsinki's most affluent areas. So, we don't always have the best understanding of the barriers that housing cooperatives in suburban areas, where the situation regarding energy issues is the most challenging, face.

Through Decarbon-Home, I've also gained a better understanding of the lives of people in Mellunkylä through the Transition Arena, and what could motivate them and how we could help implement energy renovations. Through this, I've gained development ideas for improving our own service and other city services and communications. One insight, for example, has been disseminating information about our services and events to eastern Helsinki libraries. The insights and contacts I've gained from Transition Arena work will surely continue to influence the development of our services for a long time.

This blog was originally published in Finnish on the Decarbon home project’s website. You can find the original here. Translation by ChatGPT and Emma Berg.