Non-human agency in sustainability transitions: investigating multi-level relationships and materiality in mobility hubs

Research on urban transitions views urban system reconfiguration as a gradual, incremental process in which new arrangements among existing systems and new components yield novel relationships. This focus on relational dynamics calls for greater attention to actors and agency in transition processes. Nonetheless, most existing studies have concentrated on human agency. This article aims to expand the understanding of non-human agency in shaping urban transitions. We cross-fertilise two perspectives within sustainability transitions research: urban system reconfiguration and Actor Network Theory-inspired analyses of transitions-in-the-making. Specifically, we investigate niche-regime interactions within an actor-network formed during a collaborative pilot project testing mobility hubs in a Stockholm suburb, Sweden. Using qualitative data, we examine the actor-network by tracking human and non-human actants and their interactions throughout the project’s lifecycle—from inception to disassembly. The analysis reveals that an ANT lens grounded in flat ontology effectively uncovers the diversity of actants and relationships in emerging networks and demonstrates the multidirectional influence between niche and regime. This flat ontology challenges traditional ideas of agency and structure, emphasizing the role of non-human actants alongside humans in driving action. Findings also highlight the importance of fluidity, heterogeneity and the density of associations among actants beyond project limits for broader governance reconfigurations. The focus on materiality and inscription illustrates how non-human actants facilitate the development of networks and connections across multiple niches and regimes.