Each year, UGoveRN invites a distinguished scholar to deliver a keynote lecture that offers fresh insights and new perspectives on urban and regional governance research. This year’s event, co-hosted with the Urban Planning (UP) Group, featured Dr. Li Wan from the University of Cambridge (and a fellow UGoveRN member). Li’s keynote explored the complex and evolving relationship between governance, mobility, and sustainability. Drawing on rich empirical research conducted across England and the wider UK, Li critically examined how policy frameworks continue to rely heavily on physical infrastructure as the primary tool for promoting sustainable mobility. From cycling lanes and EV charging stations to expanded public transit systems, policymakers often assume that people will adjust their behaviour if the “right” infrastructure is provided. Li challenged this assumption, urging us to rethink the behavioural, cultural, and temporal dimensions of mobility that governance strategies frequently overlook.
A recording of the lecture will soon be available on the UGoveRN YouTube channel.