Bruce Podobnik

Toward a Sustainable Energy Regime: A Long-Wave Interpretation of Global Energy Shifts

Abstract This analysis adopts a long-wave perspective in order to shed light on the dynamics that led to a global shift away from primary reliance on coal and towards over-reliance on petroleum. It is argued that the interaction of three systemic dynamics, those of geopolitical rivalry, commercial competition, and social unrest, undermined the nineteenth-century international coal regime and paved the way for the consolidation of an international petroleum system in the twentieth century. By examining contemporary patterns of state and private investments in a cluster of new energy technologies, as well as the growing influence of environmental regulations, it is argued that similar dynamics are beginning to favor a shift towards a new, more sustainable energy regime in the coming century.

Assessing the social and environmental achievements of New Urbanism: evidence from Portland, Oregon

This study examines the extent to which specific social and environmental objectives have been achieved in the New Urbanist community of Orenco Station (Portland, Oregon). House-level surveys were conducted in Orenco Station, as well as a traditional suburb and two long-established urban neighborhoods. Survey data reveal higher levels of social interaction in the New Urbanist community than the comparison neighborhoods. The analysis also reveals a higher level of walking, and an increase in the occasional use of mass transit, in the New Urbanist community. However, the majority of residents in all four neighborhoods (including the New Urbanist neighborhood) rely on single occupancy vehicles for their regular commute. In summary, this study shows that Orenco Station is very effective in achieving its social objectives, successful in encouraging walking and the occasional use of mass transit – but less effective in increasing primary reliance on mass transit for commuting.