This work attempts to set the basis for defining a term that can be used for Social Innovation po... more This work attempts to set the basis for defining a term that can be used for Social Innovation policy and research related to the energy transition. It is part of an upcoming series of essays where JRC colleagues elaborate over basic terms and debates in the energy-related science-policy nexus, describing the discourses over them while conveying their interpretation. Citation: Koukoufikis, G, 2021. Social Innovation and the Energy Transition - Towards a Working Definition, European Commission, JRC122277. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19905.58720
In this thesis, a synthesis of theoretical frameworks deriving from socio-ecological economics&am... more In this thesis, a synthesis of theoretical frameworks deriving from socio-ecological economics' as presented by growth-critique scholars was used to design a meta-theoretical framework of urban analysis. The city is considered as an urban system, a spatio-temporal unit of analysis, which is scalarly embedded and thus, shaped by socioeconomic and political processes on various levels. These dynamics resulting from time-space interaction between agencies, structures, and institutions, interactively shape the urban development trajectories. One of these possible trajectories may potentially lead to the development of an alternative urban socioeconomic environment that corresponds with the post-growth societal paradigms that the growth-critique socio-ecological literature theorise. The thesis investigates this possibility through historically informed empirical research on the emergence of the 'Post-Growth City' by focusing on the factors and agents assisting or preventing urban systems of advanced capitalistic economies to move from their post-industrial to their post-growth development phase.
Two decades into the 21st century, and the City, one of the most complex human artefacts, continu... more Two decades into the 21st century, and the City, one of the most complex human artefacts, continues its transformation. Urbanization processes carry on in different ways and pace across the globe. Along with it, the complexity of urban problems increases and the public debate for their solutions intensifies, while the key urban questions remain classical: How do we imagine cities and urban development in the decades to come? And how do we make it happen?
Social innovation is increasingly turned to when attempting to address pressing social needs and ... more Social innovation is increasingly turned to when attempting to address pressing social needs and emerging issues having a social impact because of its inherent promise for societal improvement. The aim of this paper is to explore, demonstrate and confirm the potential role of social innovations in contributing towards low-carbon transitions in the energy field. The study locates the adequate fields of intervention for energy policymaking for the support of social innovation through a multiple case study of six empirical social innovation cases in the energy field in Europe. We discuss the energy policy context of the social innovation cases and how they contribute to transition as well as their broader impacts. These cases demonstrate many positive effects including measurable impacts in emissions reduction, green investments and an increase in renewable energy production. The study shows that while there has been no general focus on diffusion, some social innovation cases have scaled up nationally and internationally highlighting the potential of transitions to social innovations on the system level. Finally, the paper highlights that legislative and non-legislative policies play a crucial role in the diffusion of social innovations as they are interlinked with administrative and socio-spatial scales and nonenergy-related policies or societal fields.
This report reflects upon the concept of social innovation and the way it is used in the energy s... more This report reflects upon the concept of social innovation and the way it is used in the energy sector. It does so by bringing together theoretical investigations and empirical knowledge. We aim to clarify the concept of social innovation in the energy sector by reviewing the literature and reflecting over a number of social innovation projects in Europe. The analysis of the projects against various contextual factors and their goals reveals the significant potential of social innovation on accelerating the energy transition while tackling societal problems. Energy production, energy efficiency and energy literacy are the main domains to which socially innovative activities contribute the most. High competences of project leadership and management observed though projects are often small in scale and context-dependent. This indicates that successful socially innovative energy initiatives require advanced bottom-up governance structures even if that may imply limitations for scaling up. This setting may complicate top-down support as legal, financial or even cultural policy-making must be tailor-made and reinvent or adjust continuously. Nevertheless, social innovative activities are expected to further proliferate the following years and move towards a sound environmental, cultural, political, economic and social direction, as knowledge creation and diffusion of technological and governance innovations accompanied with policy support are on the rise.JRC.C.7-Knowledge for the Energy Unio
Μετανάπτυξη, πόλη και ο ρόλος των μικροεπιχειρήσεων:Μια έρευνα στην Αθήνα και τη ΒαρκελώνηΤο παρό... more Μετανάπτυξη, πόλη και ο ρόλος των μικροεπιχειρήσεων:Μια έρευνα στην Αθήνα και τη ΒαρκελώνηΤο παρόν άρθρο αποτελεί μια εμπειρική έρευνα που αξιολογεί τον ρόλο και την πιθανή επίδραση των μικροεπιχειρήσεων ως προς τον μετασχηματισμό των αστικών κοινωνικοοικονομικών συστημάτων στην κατεύθυνση της μετανάπτυξης. Η έρευνα πεδίου απευθύνθηκε σε «συμβατικές» πολύ μικρές επιχειρήσεις, οι οποίες λειτουργούν σε παραδοσιακούς τομείς της αγοράς και σε επιχειρήσεις που δραστηριοποιούνται στην κοινωνική και αλληλέγγυα οικονομία. Η Αθήνα και η Βαρκελώνη χρησιμοποιήθηκαν ως πόλεις-εργαστήρια για να τεκμηριώσουν τους παράγοντες που επηρέασαν τις στρατηγικές μικρο-επιχειρηματικής προσαρμογής στην οικονομική κρίση μετά το 2008, ώστε να ερευνηθεί σε ποιο βαθμό οι αφηγήσεις και οι πρακτικές αυτών μπορούν να αποτελέσουν ένδειξη ροπής προς έναν ευρύτερο κοινωνικοοικονομικό μετασχηματισμό. Τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι η κρίση και το αστικό περιβάλλον παρείχε ένα πλαίσιο για διαδικασίες διαμόρφωσης εναλλακτι...
Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, 2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the “knowledge city” spatial socio-eco... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the “knowledge city” spatial socio-economic imaginary used in the post-earthquake city of L’Aquila, Italy, to promote its socio-economic redevelopment. Design/methodology/approach The paper counters primary and secondary data with the expected qualities of a knowledge city. The analysis is supported by the literature review on knowledge-cities and post-disaster redevelopment, local and national documentation review, on-site observations and an inquiry of the case of the Gran Sasso Science Institute, the leading project towards the implementation of the knowledge-city agenda through interviews with key actors and a survey among its researchers. Findings Post-disaster realities and path-dependency leave little room for a positive path-shaping redevelopment trajectory related to a knowledge-city urban archetype. This vision promotes materialism and intellectualism from local, national and international stakeholders; however, th...
PurposeThe paper aims to explore cultural events in a post-disaster town cultural events in a pos... more PurposeThe paper aims to explore cultural events in a post-disaster town cultural events in a post-disaster town, L’Aquila, Italy, facing a long-term process of adaptation and recovery after the 2009 earthquake.Design/methodology/approachA time-based conceptual framework is applied in a case analysis relying on primary and secondary data. In-depth semi-structured interviews with local actors, direct observations and participation in local events and public debates enriched the analysis.FindingsIn the absence of a clear-cut urban policy framework, an urban heritage of cultural events emerged from local actors’ initiatives, with some evidence of local capacity building. Elements of events’ institutionalisation and signals of a serious risk of vanishing in the post-disaster transitioning context are discussed.Originality/valueThe study involves development of a theoretical framework for analysing the temporal process of evolution of a local system of cultural events as instruments for ...
This study analyses the linkage between electricity consumption patterns and tourism during the p... more This study analyses the linkage between electricity consumption patterns and tourism during the pandemic shock, investigating the real impact of touristic activities in terms of energy demand. It goes through the existing literature that connects tourism and energy consumption, focusing on the electricity sector, and is accompanied by a case study analysis. Nine islands and island groups with different touristic patterns and geographic representation were selected from six EU Member States and three marine regions. The results reveal correlations between reported lockdowns, drops in electricity consumption and tourist arrivals indicating the real energy impact of tourism. Tourism-related socioeconomic and energy indicators in the selected destinations show that the impact on electricity consumption was greater in those areas strongly characterised by a dependence on tourism (measured as a percentage of regional GDP).
This paper provides novel additional evidence on the characteristics of Collective Action Initiat... more This paper provides novel additional evidence on the characteristics of Collective Action Initiatives (CAIs), investigating their role within the European energy sector. It analyses and presents results of a survey administered in six European countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Estonia, and Spain. CAIs are studied in light of four key dimensions, those being their creation dynamics, the way they are organized, financed, and the activities they undertake. The results presented are also interpreted to reflect on their role as drivers of social innovation (SI) within energy transition in Europe. The analysis shows that the contribution of CAIs to the energy transition has a much wider scope than the development of energy projects and provision of energy services. CAIs are intrinsically socially innovative models of implementation as characterised by a strong level of citizen involvement and participation. Moreover, they have a potential multi-level role in the energy t...
Social innovation is increasingly turned to when attempting to address pressing social needs and ... more Social innovation is increasingly turned to when attempting to address pressing social needs and emerging issues having a social impact because of its inherent promise for societal improvement. The aim of this paper is to explore, demonstrate and confirm the potential role of social innovations in contributing towards low-carbon transitions in the energy field. The study locates the adequate fields of intervention for energy policymaking for the support of social innovation through a multiple case study of six empirical social innovation cases in the energy field in Europe. We discuss the energy policy context of the social innovation cases and how they contribute to transition as well as their broader impacts. These cases demonstrate many positive effects including measurable impacts in emissions reduction, green investments and an increase in renewable energy production. The study shows that while there has been no general focus on diffusion, some social innovation cases have scaled up nationally and internationally highlighting the potential of transitions to social innovations on the system level. Finally, the paper highlights that legislative and non-legislative policies play a crucial role in the diffusion of social innovations as they are interlinked with administrative and socio-spatial scales and nonenergy-related policies or societal fields.
This work attempts to set the basis for defining a term that can be used for Social Innovation po... more This work attempts to set the basis for defining a term that can be used for Social Innovation policy and research related to the energy transition. It is part of an upcoming series of essays where JRC colleagues elaborate over basic terms and debates in the energy-related science-policy nexus, describing the discourses over them while conveying their interpretation. Citation: Koukoufikis, G, 2021. Social Innovation and the Energy Transition - Towards a Working Definition, European Commission, JRC122277. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19905.58720
This work attempts to set the basis for defining a term that can be used for Social Innovation po... more This work attempts to set the basis for defining a term that can be used for Social Innovation policy and research related to the energy transition. It is part of an upcoming series of essays where JRC colleagues elaborate over basic terms and debates in the energy-related science-policy nexus, describing the discourses over them while conveying their interpretation. Citation: Koukoufikis, G, 2021. Social Innovation and the Energy Transition - Towards a Working Definition, European Commission, JRC122277. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19905.58720
In this thesis, a synthesis of theoretical frameworks deriving from socio-ecological economics&am... more In this thesis, a synthesis of theoretical frameworks deriving from socio-ecological economics' as presented by growth-critique scholars was used to design a meta-theoretical framework of urban analysis. The city is considered as an urban system, a spatio-temporal unit of analysis, which is scalarly embedded and thus, shaped by socioeconomic and political processes on various levels. These dynamics resulting from time-space interaction between agencies, structures, and institutions, interactively shape the urban development trajectories. One of these possible trajectories may potentially lead to the development of an alternative urban socioeconomic environment that corresponds with the post-growth societal paradigms that the growth-critique socio-ecological literature theorise. The thesis investigates this possibility through historically informed empirical research on the emergence of the 'Post-Growth City' by focusing on the factors and agents assisting or preventing urban systems of advanced capitalistic economies to move from their post-industrial to their post-growth development phase.
Two decades into the 21st century, and the City, one of the most complex human artefacts, continu... more Two decades into the 21st century, and the City, one of the most complex human artefacts, continues its transformation. Urbanization processes carry on in different ways and pace across the globe. Along with it, the complexity of urban problems increases and the public debate for their solutions intensifies, while the key urban questions remain classical: How do we imagine cities and urban development in the decades to come? And how do we make it happen?
Social innovation is increasingly turned to when attempting to address pressing social needs and ... more Social innovation is increasingly turned to when attempting to address pressing social needs and emerging issues having a social impact because of its inherent promise for societal improvement. The aim of this paper is to explore, demonstrate and confirm the potential role of social innovations in contributing towards low-carbon transitions in the energy field. The study locates the adequate fields of intervention for energy policymaking for the support of social innovation through a multiple case study of six empirical social innovation cases in the energy field in Europe. We discuss the energy policy context of the social innovation cases and how they contribute to transition as well as their broader impacts. These cases demonstrate many positive effects including measurable impacts in emissions reduction, green investments and an increase in renewable energy production. The study shows that while there has been no general focus on diffusion, some social innovation cases have scaled up nationally and internationally highlighting the potential of transitions to social innovations on the system level. Finally, the paper highlights that legislative and non-legislative policies play a crucial role in the diffusion of social innovations as they are interlinked with administrative and socio-spatial scales and nonenergy-related policies or societal fields.
This report reflects upon the concept of social innovation and the way it is used in the energy s... more This report reflects upon the concept of social innovation and the way it is used in the energy sector. It does so by bringing together theoretical investigations and empirical knowledge. We aim to clarify the concept of social innovation in the energy sector by reviewing the literature and reflecting over a number of social innovation projects in Europe. The analysis of the projects against various contextual factors and their goals reveals the significant potential of social innovation on accelerating the energy transition while tackling societal problems. Energy production, energy efficiency and energy literacy are the main domains to which socially innovative activities contribute the most. High competences of project leadership and management observed though projects are often small in scale and context-dependent. This indicates that successful socially innovative energy initiatives require advanced bottom-up governance structures even if that may imply limitations for scaling up. This setting may complicate top-down support as legal, financial or even cultural policy-making must be tailor-made and reinvent or adjust continuously. Nevertheless, social innovative activities are expected to further proliferate the following years and move towards a sound environmental, cultural, political, economic and social direction, as knowledge creation and diffusion of technological and governance innovations accompanied with policy support are on the rise.JRC.C.7-Knowledge for the Energy Unio
Μετανάπτυξη, πόλη και ο ρόλος των μικροεπιχειρήσεων:Μια έρευνα στην Αθήνα και τη ΒαρκελώνηΤο παρό... more Μετανάπτυξη, πόλη και ο ρόλος των μικροεπιχειρήσεων:Μια έρευνα στην Αθήνα και τη ΒαρκελώνηΤο παρόν άρθρο αποτελεί μια εμπειρική έρευνα που αξιολογεί τον ρόλο και την πιθανή επίδραση των μικροεπιχειρήσεων ως προς τον μετασχηματισμό των αστικών κοινωνικοοικονομικών συστημάτων στην κατεύθυνση της μετανάπτυξης. Η έρευνα πεδίου απευθύνθηκε σε «συμβατικές» πολύ μικρές επιχειρήσεις, οι οποίες λειτουργούν σε παραδοσιακούς τομείς της αγοράς και σε επιχειρήσεις που δραστηριοποιούνται στην κοινωνική και αλληλέγγυα οικονομία. Η Αθήνα και η Βαρκελώνη χρησιμοποιήθηκαν ως πόλεις-εργαστήρια για να τεκμηριώσουν τους παράγοντες που επηρέασαν τις στρατηγικές μικρο-επιχειρηματικής προσαρμογής στην οικονομική κρίση μετά το 2008, ώστε να ερευνηθεί σε ποιο βαθμό οι αφηγήσεις και οι πρακτικές αυτών μπορούν να αποτελέσουν ένδειξη ροπής προς έναν ευρύτερο κοινωνικοοικονομικό μετασχηματισμό. Τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι η κρίση και το αστικό περιβάλλον παρείχε ένα πλαίσιο για διαδικασίες διαμόρφωσης εναλλακτι...
Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, 2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the “knowledge city” spatial socio-eco... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the “knowledge city” spatial socio-economic imaginary used in the post-earthquake city of L’Aquila, Italy, to promote its socio-economic redevelopment. Design/methodology/approach The paper counters primary and secondary data with the expected qualities of a knowledge city. The analysis is supported by the literature review on knowledge-cities and post-disaster redevelopment, local and national documentation review, on-site observations and an inquiry of the case of the Gran Sasso Science Institute, the leading project towards the implementation of the knowledge-city agenda through interviews with key actors and a survey among its researchers. Findings Post-disaster realities and path-dependency leave little room for a positive path-shaping redevelopment trajectory related to a knowledge-city urban archetype. This vision promotes materialism and intellectualism from local, national and international stakeholders; however, th...
PurposeThe paper aims to explore cultural events in a post-disaster town cultural events in a pos... more PurposeThe paper aims to explore cultural events in a post-disaster town cultural events in a post-disaster town, L’Aquila, Italy, facing a long-term process of adaptation and recovery after the 2009 earthquake.Design/methodology/approachA time-based conceptual framework is applied in a case analysis relying on primary and secondary data. In-depth semi-structured interviews with local actors, direct observations and participation in local events and public debates enriched the analysis.FindingsIn the absence of a clear-cut urban policy framework, an urban heritage of cultural events emerged from local actors’ initiatives, with some evidence of local capacity building. Elements of events’ institutionalisation and signals of a serious risk of vanishing in the post-disaster transitioning context are discussed.Originality/valueThe study involves development of a theoretical framework for analysing the temporal process of evolution of a local system of cultural events as instruments for ...
This study analyses the linkage between electricity consumption patterns and tourism during the p... more This study analyses the linkage between electricity consumption patterns and tourism during the pandemic shock, investigating the real impact of touristic activities in terms of energy demand. It goes through the existing literature that connects tourism and energy consumption, focusing on the electricity sector, and is accompanied by a case study analysis. Nine islands and island groups with different touristic patterns and geographic representation were selected from six EU Member States and three marine regions. The results reveal correlations between reported lockdowns, drops in electricity consumption and tourist arrivals indicating the real energy impact of tourism. Tourism-related socioeconomic and energy indicators in the selected destinations show that the impact on electricity consumption was greater in those areas strongly characterised by a dependence on tourism (measured as a percentage of regional GDP).
This paper provides novel additional evidence on the characteristics of Collective Action Initiat... more This paper provides novel additional evidence on the characteristics of Collective Action Initiatives (CAIs), investigating their role within the European energy sector. It analyses and presents results of a survey administered in six European countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Estonia, and Spain. CAIs are studied in light of four key dimensions, those being their creation dynamics, the way they are organized, financed, and the activities they undertake. The results presented are also interpreted to reflect on their role as drivers of social innovation (SI) within energy transition in Europe. The analysis shows that the contribution of CAIs to the energy transition has a much wider scope than the development of energy projects and provision of energy services. CAIs are intrinsically socially innovative models of implementation as characterised by a strong level of citizen involvement and participation. Moreover, they have a potential multi-level role in the energy t...
Social innovation is increasingly turned to when attempting to address pressing social needs and ... more Social innovation is increasingly turned to when attempting to address pressing social needs and emerging issues having a social impact because of its inherent promise for societal improvement. The aim of this paper is to explore, demonstrate and confirm the potential role of social innovations in contributing towards low-carbon transitions in the energy field. The study locates the adequate fields of intervention for energy policymaking for the support of social innovation through a multiple case study of six empirical social innovation cases in the energy field in Europe. We discuss the energy policy context of the social innovation cases and how they contribute to transition as well as their broader impacts. These cases demonstrate many positive effects including measurable impacts in emissions reduction, green investments and an increase in renewable energy production. The study shows that while there has been no general focus on diffusion, some social innovation cases have scaled up nationally and internationally highlighting the potential of transitions to social innovations on the system level. Finally, the paper highlights that legislative and non-legislative policies play a crucial role in the diffusion of social innovations as they are interlinked with administrative and socio-spatial scales and nonenergy-related policies or societal fields.
This work attempts to set the basis for defining a term that can be used for Social Innovation po... more This work attempts to set the basis for defining a term that can be used for Social Innovation policy and research related to the energy transition. It is part of an upcoming series of essays where JRC colleagues elaborate over basic terms and debates in the energy-related science-policy nexus, describing the discourses over them while conveying their interpretation. Citation: Koukoufikis, G, 2021. Social Innovation and the Energy Transition - Towards a Working Definition, European Commission, JRC122277. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19905.58720
Two decades into the 21st century, and the City, one of the most complex
human artefacts, continu... more Two decades into the 21st century, and the City, one of the most complex human artefacts, continues its transformation. Urbanization processes carry on in different ways and pace across the globe. Along with it, the complexity of urban problems increases and the public debate for their solutions intensifies, while the key urban questions remain classical: How do we imagine cities and urban development in the decades to come? And how do we make it happen?
In this thesis, a synthesis of theoretical frameworks deriving from socio-ecological economics' a... more In this thesis, a synthesis of theoretical frameworks deriving from socio-ecological economics' as presented by growth-critique scholars was used to design a meta-theoretical framework of urban analysis. The city is considered as an urban system, a spatio-temporal unit of analysis, which is scalarly embedded and thus, shaped by socioeconomic and political processes on various levels. These dynamics resulting from time-space interaction between agencies, structures, and institutions, interactively shape the urban development trajectories. One of these possible trajectories may potentially lead to the development of an alternative urban socioeconomic environment that corresponds with the post-growth societal paradigms that the growth-critique socio-ecological literature theorise. The thesis investigates this possibility through historically informed empirical research on the emergence of the 'Post-Growth City' by focusing on the factors and agents assisting or preventing urban systems of advanced capitalistic economies to move from their post-industrial to their post-growth development phase.
More than 10.5% of the population of the European Union (EU) struggled with inadequate home heati... more More than 10.5% of the population of the European Union (EU) struggled with inadequate home heating in 2023. This is a worrying escalation on previous years (+3.7 percentage points since 2021), with some countries reaching as high as 20%. At the same time 3% of EU citizens were affected by long-term persistent energy poverty, primarily challenged by utility bill arrears and difficulties in heating their homes. Energy poverty affected households across all income levels, with some regions witnessing substantial challenges even among those in the middle and highest income brackets. This report provides disaggregated data and statistical analysis on energy poverty indicators across all EU Members States, regions and socioeconomic strata. The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions to address the deep-rooted causes of energy poverty and to reduce its prevalence across the EU. As we intensify efforts to achieve the energy transition, these insights are crucial to ensure that no citizen is left behind in the pursuit of a sustainable and equitable energy future.
This report examines the potential of energy communities to alleviate energy poverty, which affec... more This report examines the potential of energy communities to alleviate energy poverty, which affects an estimated 50 million households in the EU. Through a review of existing literature, cases, surveys and findings of key EU projects, we identify the main drivers and barriers to the participation of energy-poor households in community energy initiatives. We find that energy communities (legal entities that empower citizens, small businesses and local authorities to produce, manage and consume their own energy) have the potential to provide affordable and sustainable energy services to low-income households, while also promoting energy democracy and social cohesion. However, significant challenges remain, including the limited awareness and accessibility of energy communities, regulatory barriers, and funding constraints. To overcome these challenges, a range of policy and practical measures is needed, including targeted financial support, capacity-building for energy communities, and streamlined regulatory frameworks. We conclude that energy communities can play a crucial role in tackling energy poverty, but require concerted efforts from policymakers, energy providers, and civil society to realise their full potential.
This publication is a Technical report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commissio... more This publication is a Technical report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission's science and knowledge service. It aims to provide evidence-based scientific support to the European policymaking process. The scientific output expressed does not imply a policy position of the European Commission. Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of this publication. For information on the methodology and quality underlying the data used in this publication for which the source is neither Eurostat nor other Commission services, users should contact the referenced source. The designations employed and the presentation of material on the maps do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the European Union concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
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Papers by Giorgos Koukoufikis
It is part of an upcoming series of essays where JRC colleagues elaborate over basic terms and debates in the energy-related science-policy nexus, describing the discourses over them while conveying their interpretation. Citation: Koukoufikis, G, 2021. Social Innovation and the Energy Transition - Towards a Working Definition, European Commission, JRC122277. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19905.58720
It is part of an upcoming series of essays where JRC colleagues elaborate over basic terms and debates in the energy-related science-policy nexus, describing the discourses over them while conveying their interpretation. Citation: Koukoufikis, G, 2021. Social Innovation and the Energy Transition - Towards a Working Definition, European Commission, JRC122277. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19905.58720
human artefacts, continues its transformation. Urbanization processes carry on in different ways and pace across the globe. Along with it, the complexity of urban problems increases and the public debate for their solutions intensifies, while the key urban questions remain classical: How do we imagine cities and urban development in the decades to come? And how do we make it happen?
accessibility of energy communities, regulatory barriers, and funding constraints. To overcome these challenges, a range of policy and practical measures is needed, including targeted financial support, capacity-building for energy communities, and streamlined regulatory frameworks. We conclude that energy communities can play a crucial role in tackling energy poverty, but require concerted efforts from policymakers, energy providers, and civil society to realise their full potential.