LIST OF PANELS

Subnational Sustainability and Infrastructure Policy
The urgency of addressing climate change demands political action across all levels of governance, from international and national to local contexts. At the local level, the planning of sustainable mobility – especially the transition away from motorized individual transportation – poses unique challenges, often intersecting with various political jurisdictions. Local governments face the complex task of developing and implementing policies that not only promote sustainable practices but also cater to the specific needs of their communities. These efforts necessitate a multifaceted approach, requiring vertical coordination between governmental levels and horizontal collaboration across municipalities, which is often necessary to advance sustainable infrastructure projects and reach climate objectives. Such collaboration further includes the participation of local non-governmental actors such as citizens, associations, and private sector stakeholders to identify local needs, possible barriers, and optimal solutions. In many cases, collaborative governance has been shown to help mitigate conflicts and facilitate agreements, even when the beliefs of the actors diverge (Koebele & Crow, 2023). Not only municipal coordination, however, poses challenges to local sustainability policy but also issues of financing, multilevel pressures, lacking capacity, decisions on policy instruments, and policy conflicts (Ji, 2020; Vihma & Toikka, 2021; Wolf, 2021; Kern et al., 2023; Schröder & Bandelow, 2024; Zeigermann et al., 2024). Addressing these diverse issues is evident in various studies on the implementation of policies related to the built environment (e.g., bike lanes, railroads, renewable energy infrastructure) that aim to contribute positively to the shift toward greater sustainability. As such, authors have highlighted the role of, inter alia, policy entrepreneurship (Timmermans et al., 2014; Harvey‐Scholes et al., 2023), narratives (Nagel & Schäfer, 2023; Parkkinen & Vikström, 2024), and policy diffusion (Schulze et al., 2024; Jensen et al., 2023) in local sustainability and infrastructure policymaking. These elements provide valuable insights into how policies can be crafted, promoted, and adapted to meet the unique challenges faced by local governments.
This panel aims to explore these challenges, their consequences, and possible solutions for subnational sustainability and infrastructure policymaking through the lens of public policy. Investigating and comparing specific sustainability policies at different stages of the policymaking process can contribute to a deeper understanding of the institutional, political, and social factors that facilitate or hinder their design and implementation. As such, our panel calls for empirical contributions on single or multiple case studies, research on good and bad practices, comparative analyses, and systematic reviews of the current research landscape. The goal is to open a dialog that bridges the gap between theoretical frameworks and practical applications, promotes innovation in policy making and encourages collaborative research.
Submissions exploring sustainability policies at the local or municipal level, especially including efforts to increase sustainable infrastructure, are encouraged even if they do not focus on vertical or horizontal coordination. For instance, by examining how different stakeholders – ranging from policymakers and urban planners to local businesses and community organizations – interact and influence policy outcomes, we can gain deeper insights into the dynamics that shape the development of sustainable mobility solutions. Understanding the interplay between actor networks and their collaboration, as well as the public narrative surrounding sustainability and infrastructure policies and the communication among policy actors, is of crucial importance. Moreover, there is a growing interest in understanding how cities and municipalities can promote specific instruments such as the integration of bike-sharing programs in urban planning to support cycling as a viable, eco-friendly mode of transport. These initiatives highlight that effective local climate action can also be driven by local initiatives, policy entrepreneurs, focusing events, or the strategic use of narratives. We are calling for submissions that highlight these or other elements of public policy research in relation to subnational sustainability and infrastructure policymaking.
References
Harvey‐Scholes, C., Mitchell, C., Britton, J., & Lowes, R. (2023). Citizen policy entrepreneurship in UK local government climate emergency declarations. Review of Policy Research, 40(6), 950–971. https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12522
Jensen, A., Nielsen, H. Ø., & Russel, D. (2023). Diffusion of climate policy integration in adaptation strategies: Translating the EU mandate into UK and Danish national contexts. Regional Environmental Change, 23(4), 130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-023-02110-6
Ji, H. (2020). How Do Different Types of Local Governments’ Sustainability Programs Relate to Their Environmental Outcomes. Policy Studies Journal, 48(4), 1023–1053. https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12363
Kern, K., Grönholm, S., Haupt, W., & Hopman, L. (2023). Matching forerunner cities: Climate policy in Turku, Groningen, Rostock, and Potsdam. Review of Policy Research, 40(6), 1004–1025. https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12525
Koebele, E. A., & Crow, D. A. (2023). Mitigating conflict with collaboration: Reaching negotiated agreement amidst belief divergence in environmental governance. Policy Studies Journal, 51(2), 439–458. https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12496
Nagel, M., & Schäfer, M. (2023). Powerful stories of local climate action: Comparing the evolution of narratives using the “narrative rate” index.Review of Policy Research, 40(6), 1093–1119. https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12545
Parkkinen, M., & Vikström, S. (2024). Alternative policy narratives of the future of climate change: Analyzing Finland’s energy and climate strategy and news reports. Review of Policy Research, 41(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12602
Schröder, I., & Bandelow, N. C. (2024). Digital citizen participation in policy conflict and concord: Evaluation of a web‐based planning tool for railroad infrastructure. Policy & Internet, 16(3), 628–642. https://doi.org/10.1002/poi3.394
Schulze, K., Schoenefeld, J. J., & Hildén, M. (2024). Adapting to climate change: Promises and pitfalls in the diffusion of solutions. Regional Environmental Change, 24(1), 4, s10113-023-02165–5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-023-02165-5
Timmermans, J., van der Heiden, S., & Born, M. P. (2014). Policy Entrepreneurs in Sustainability Transitions: Their Personality and Leadership Profiles Assessed. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 13, 96–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2014.06.002
Vihma, P., & Toikka, A. (2021). The limits of collaborative governance: The role of inter‐group learning and trust in the case of the Estonian “Forest War”. Environmental Policy and Governance, 31(5), 403–416. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1952
Wolf, E. E. A. (2021). Dismissing the “Vocal Minority”: How Policy Conflict Escalates When Policymakers Label Resisting Citizens. Policy Studies Journal, 49(2), 640–663. https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12370
Zeigermann, U., Böcher, M., & Benz, J. (2024). Regionaler Klimaschutz in Zeiten der Krise? Eine vergleichende Untersuchung von zehn Landkreisen in vier Bundesländern. Raumforschung und Raumordnung | Spatial Research and Planning, 82(3), 264–279. https://doi.org/10.14512/rur.1740

Subnational Sustainability and Infrastructure Policy
Climate change demands political action across all levels of governance. At the local level, the strengthening of sustainable mobility poses unique challenges, often intersecting with various political jurisdictions. Local governments face the complex task of developing and implementing policies that not only promote sustainable practices but also cater to the specific needs of their communities. These efforts necessitate a multifaceted approach, requiring vertical coordination between governmental levels and horizontal collaboration across municipalities, which is often necessary to advance sustainable infrastructure projects and reach climate objectives. Such collaboration further includes the participation of local non-governmental actors such as citizens, associations, and private sector stakeholders to identify local needs, possible barriers, and optimal solutions. In many cases, collaborative governance has been shown to help mitigate conflicts and facilitate agreements, even when the beliefs of the actors diverge. Not only municipal coordination, however, poses challenges to local sustainability policy but also issues of financing, multilevel pressures, lacking capacity, decisions on policy instruments, and policy conflicts. Addressing these diverse issues is evident in various studies on the implementation of policies related to the built environment (e.g., bike lanes, railroads, renewable energy infrastructure) that aim to contribute positively to the shift toward greater sustainability.
This panel aims to explore these challenges, their consequences, and possible solutions for subnational sustainability and infrastructure policymaking through the lens of public policy. Investigating and comparing specific sustainability policies at different stages of the policymaking process can contribute to a deeper understanding of the institutional, political, and social factors that facilitate or hinder their design and implementation. This panel calls for empirical contributions on single or multiple case studies, research on good and bad practices, comparative analyses, and systematic reviews of the current research landscape. The goal is to open a dialog that bridges the gap between theoretical frameworks and practical applications, promotes innovation in policy making and encourages collaborative research.
Submissions exploring sustainability policies at the local or municipal level, especially including efforts to increase sustainable infrastructure, are encouraged even if they do not focus on vertical or horizontal coordination. For instance, by examining how different stakeholders – ranging from policymakers and urban planners to local businesses and community organizations – interact and influence policy outcomes, we can gain deeper insights into the dynamics that shape the development of sustainable mobility solutions. Understanding the interplay between actor networks and their collaboration, as well as the public narrative surrounding sustainability and infrastructure policies and the communication among policy actors, is of crucial importance. Moreover, there is a growing interest in understanding how cities and municipalities can promote specific instruments such as the integration of bike-sharing programs in urban planning to support cycling as a viable, eco-friendly mode of transport. These initiatives highlight that effective local climate action can also be driven by local initiatives, policy entrepreneurs, focusing events, or the strategic use of narratives. We are calling for submissions that highlight these or other elements of public policy research in relation to subnational sustainability and infrastructure policymaking.