Transformation through transdisciplinary practice: cultivating new lines of sight for urban transformation

Abstract

In this editorial introduction, we introduce the special issue “Transforming Urban Sustainability”, which seeks to understand the pursuit and practice of transformative change for urban sustainability. Uniquely, the contributions to the Special Issue were developed through trans-disciplinary collaborations and in this editorial we reflect on these practices and consider how they can catalyze transformative change in and through academic practice. We also review existing conceptual approaches to transformation and develop a heuristic device that helps us to appreciate its multiple and diverse dimensions. Through this heuristic, we generate lines of sight through which to view transformation and position the contributions in the Special Issue in relation to these. We conclude by suggesting that to advance both the understanding and traction of transformative action we need to recognise its multiplicity and actively engage with its different facets.