Comparing urban mobility and the energy transition in France, USA, and Brazil: from research collaboration to institutional partnerships

Résumé :

This chapter describes and analyzes a research project undertaken by a multidisciplinary team, including scholars from France, the USA, and Brazil, which was formed to respond the French government’s 2011 research program Ignis mutat res. The proposal aimed to study the effects of the energy transition on mobility policy and practices, as well as on urban form, in three metropolitan areas: Bordeaux, Cincinnati, and Curitiba. After a brief presentation of the project’s research methodology and results, the chapter focuses on the key factors that contributed to the endeavor’s positive outcome, as well as on the limiting factors and obstacles encountered. It aims to contribute to understanding the parameters involved in collaborations between contrasting national and institutional cultures, as transnational research becomes increasingly important in light of global challenges such as climate change.