Global oil prices have risen markedly over the past 18 months, generating considerable speculation regarding their economic and social impacts. Cities that are highly dependent on petroleum for urban transport are likely to be most adversely affected by rising oil prices. Yet there has been...

This paper assesses the effects on suburbia of an energy transition to less carbon- or petroleum-intensive energy urban forms using a socio-technical theoretical perspective. The paper argues that while suburbia is the predominant form of urbanisation in advanced nations, especially North...