Chapter Five - Whose transition? Power and discourse in Austria’s rural mobility transition

Abstract

This chapter examines power relations and discourse in Austria’s rural mobility transition through a critical analysis of national and regional climate policies. Using Hajer’s discourse analysis framework, we investigate how rural areas are constructed in Austria’s decarbonization agenda, focusing on the Waldviertel region in Lower Austria as a case study of conflicting urban-rural mobility paradigms. Our analysis of key policy documents including Austria’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), Mobility Master Plan 2030, and regional strategies, reveals an urban-centric bias that frames rural communities through deficit-oriented narratives while marginalizing their knowledge and agency. The research identifies two dominant storylines: the “Urban-Rural Divide” and “Economic Modernization and Strategic Ambiguity,” which together reinforce power asymmetries between urban policy centers and rural peripheries. However, our examination of the land.mobil:LAB rural mobility laboratory demonstrates how hybrid institutions can create spaces for more inclusive transition governance by enabling rural communities to participate as knowledge producers rather than passive policy recipients. The findings suggest that effective rural mobility transitions require disrupting urban-centric power dynamics through participatory approaches that recognize rural innovation potential while maintaining connections to formal governance structures. Ultimately, this analysis asks: whose transition is this, and how do power and discourse shape rural mobility transformation?