Nurturing transformative spaces to challenge technocratic hegemony

Leveraging informality in Indian cities

Bibliographic Data

ID6134216
AuthorsNeha Mungekar (0000-0002-4663-0716, Erasmus University Rotterdam), Annelli Janssen (0000-0003-0592-4803, Erasmus University Rotterdam), Katharina Hölscher (0000-0002-4504-3368, Utrecht University), Derk A Loorbach (0000-0002-4422-0019, Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Year2025
Volume23
Issue3
Pages340-359
Publication date2025-06-06
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAction Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1476-7503 • E-ISSN: 1741-2617
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14767503251347422
OpenAlexW4411078674
LanguageEN
References cited30

Urban water governance in India is dominated by engineering-centric, hierarchical systems that marginalise non-technocratic knowledge. We introduce a novel approach in conceptualising and operationalising transformative spaces that leverage informality—characterised by flexibility, adaptability, and creativity—to disrupt these hegemonies and promote culturally situated collaboration. These transformative spaces function as ‘safe-enough’ environments where diverse actors experiment, dialogue, and co-create water-sensitive approach tailored to their contexts. While established methodologies like Transition Management (TM) employ structured transition arenas, we adapt these into a broader and more fluid understanding of transformative spaces, explicitly tailored to India’s urban governance setting. Informality, a prominent mode of governance in India, is harnessed in this framework through three principles: cultivating confidence to challenge regressive power structures, fostering frugality and creativity, and instilling faith in the transformation . These spaces are critical for navigating the complexities of hierarchical governance and enabling more inclusive, pluralistic approaches. This paper explores how transformative spaces, shaped by informality, enable actors to confront entrenched hierarchies and foster meaningful engagement towards water sensitive governance, particularly within contexts characterised by power asymmetries and technocratic dominance in Bhopal and Bhuj. Ultimately, these spaces advance water sensitive governance by creatively framing solutions that move beyond technocratic models and empower local actors

Coproduction · Corporate governance · Economics · Hegemony · Management · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Technocracy · Transformative learning · Law · Water Governance and Infrastructure · Water resources management and optimization · Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies

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