User-Made Immobilities: A Transitions Perspective

Abstract

In this paper we aim to conceptualize the role of users in creating, expanding and stabilizing the automobility system. Drawing on transition studies we offer a typology of user roles including user-producers, user-legitimators, user-intermediaries, user-citizens and user-consumers, and explore it on the historical transition to the automobile regime in the USA. We find that users play an important role during the entire transition process but some roles are more salient than others in particular phases. Another finding is that the success of the transitions depends on the stabilization of the emerging regime which will trigger upscaling in terms of the numbers of adopters. The findings are used to reflect on potential crossovers between transitions and mobilities research.

Keywords: transitions, users, stabilization, immobilities