Advancing Shared Energy Transition Through Strategic Regional Future Developments

Abstract

Participation in energy planning often occurs late in the process, typically during the approval phase, which limits substantial discussions and the exchange of perspectives. As a result, current participatory planning emphasizes acceptance rather than seeking shared solutions for energy transition, which leads to significant resistance to local energy transition projects.To identify shared solutions, it is essential to understand residents' perspectives on regional energy transition and how these relate to their views on regional spatial development. This research explores residents' perspective on both topics to establish a foundation for finding shared solutions in spatial and energy planning. A standardized questionnaire incorporating PPGIS was used to assess residents' perspectives on energy transition and preferred future regional developments in the Swiss region Knonauer Amt. The findings suggest that early identification and understanding of diverse resident perspectives, at the strategic planning level can significantly improve participatory planning approaches and advance shared energy transition efforts.

Keywords: Energy Transition, Residents Perspective, Future, Strategic Planning, Social Learning