Long-term urban microgrid design: Socio-spatial resilience to promote energy democracy

This research article argues that long-term considerations for sociotechnical resilience in urban microgrid design should include socio-spatial dimensions and energy democracy as key concepts. Referring to Otto Neurath and ‘Red Vienna’ of the 1920s this article uses historical analogy as a heuristic tool to open up alternatives and self-reflective perspectives for policy considerations. It points to potential negative effects of ‘energy gerrymandering’ on urban energy democracy, i.e. the setting of spatial microgrid boundaries with a bias merely on grounds of economic, or technological efficiency.