Transitioning around the elephant in the room : resilience, property and the fate of cities

As we head further into climate change and closer to whatever shifts in energy production and consumption may be coming, ‘transition’ is receiving a flurry of attention as a way to think and act regarding the future of cities and communities in the face of complex challenges. The work of Atkinson (2013; 2014; Atkinson and Viloria 2013) stepped into this space, offering an overview of the Transition Towns movement and its possible relevance for cities (see also Smith 2011). Atkinson’s assertion is that the coming years will see decentralisation from cities with remaining urban residents seeking to establish less materially intensive systems and patterns of sustenance. Consequently, his work focuses on practices such as urban agriculture as part of broader organisational or lifestyle moves, including intentional communities. Thinking about the key objectives of Transition Towns in cities, and hence of Atkinson’s work, raises the immediate question: where is property in all this?