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Short abstract

This paper presents a method of “second-order learning conversations” that embeds structured reflection in Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), surfacing hidden assumptions and trade-offs to support more just and sustainable urban energy futures.

Long abstract

Cities, and Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) in particular, are key arenas for developing radical urban visions for the future. PEDs are still in their formative stages, and existing projects reveal significant differences in their conceptualisation, governance and implementation. While much of the existing work has focused on technical and economic transition pathways, the unintended social and ecological side effects of the intended structural innovations, as well as the normative visions they embody, have received little attention. This paper presents a method for structured reflection that positions second-order learning as a precondition for just and sustainable urban energy futures. Drawing on constructive technology assessment and the notion of 'moments of reflection', the paper sets out and demonstrates the use of second-order learning conversations as a practical framework for identifying and challenging assumptions, problem framings and value priorities that are often taken for granted in PED development. The method was tested in five PEDs in Austria, Belgium and Sweden, involving planners, utility companies, researchers, municipal officials and local stakeholders. We demonstrate how the method can reveal conflicting visions of PEDs, highlight trade-offs and open up alternative pathways that might otherwise remain invisible in routine project management. In doing so, the method encourages participants to re-examine design choices, governance arrangements, and indicators of success, thereby embedding reflexivity in ongoing and future PED processes. We argue that institutionalising such second-order learning practices is crucial for shaping urban energy transformations that are technically, economically, socially and ecologically robust and sustainable.