Prof. Dr. Julia Affolderbach
Research area
Topics | Sustainability transitions, sustainable urban and regional development, green building, waste / plastics, environmental activism, lived sustainabilities, environmental activism, resource management |
Perspectives | Political economy, environmental economic geography, methods, education for sustainable development, transformative science |
Regions | Europe, North America, Australia |
Work experience & education
Since 2023 | Professor for Sustainability Transitions, Trier University |
2020-2023 | Assistant Professor for Sustainability Transitions, Trier University |
2014-2020 | Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Hull (GB) |
04/-06/2013 | Visiting Scholar, Clark University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (USA) |
2009-2014 | Postdoc, University of Luxembourg |
2003-2009 | PhD in Geography, Simon Fraser University, Canada |
1995-2002 | Diploma (BSc/MSc) in Geographie, Botany and Geology, Cologne University and Simon Fraser University, Canada |
Publications

Books and edited books
- Affolderbach, J. & Schulz, C. (2024) Wirtschaftsgeographien der Nachhaltigkeit. Studienbuch UTB/Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld.
- Affolderbach, J. and Schulz, C. (2018) Green Building Transitions: Regional Trajectories of Innovation in Europe, Canada and Australia. The Urban Book Series. New York: Springer.
- Affolderbach, J., Du Bry, T., Gonzalez, O. and Parra, C. (eds.) (2012) Reinforcing Governance: Perspectives on Development, Poverty, and Global Crises. Regional Integration and Social Cohesion Series, Vol. 8. Brussels: P.I.E. Peter Lang, 169 p.
Journal articles (peer reviewed)
- Newsholme, A., Deutz, P., Affolderbach, J. and Baumgartner, R. (2022) Negotiating stakeholder relationships in a regional circular economy: discourse analysis of multi-scalar policies and company statements from the north of England. Circular Economy and Sustainability. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s43615-021-00143-9
- Affolderbach, J. (2022) Translating green economy concepts into practice: ideas pitches as learning tools for sustainability education. Journal of Geography in Higher Education 46(1), 43-60.
- Affolderbach, J. and Médard de Chardon, C. (2021) Just transitions through digitally enabled sharing economies? DIE ERDE, Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin 152(4), 244-259.
- Deng, B., Affolderbach, J. and Deutz, P. (2020) Industrial restructuring through eco-transformation: Green industrial transfer in Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan, Hunan Province. Sustainability 12(17), 6945.
- Affolderbach, J., O’Neill, K. and Preller, B. (2019) Global-local tensions in urban green neighbourhoods: a policy mobilities approach to discursive change in Freiburg, Vancouver and Luxembourg. Geografiska Annaler B 101(4), 271-290.
- Affolderbach, J. and Krueger, R. (2017) ‘Just’ ecopreneurs: Re-conceptualizing green transitions and entrepreneurship. Local Environment 22(4), 410-423.
- Affolderbach, J. and Schulz, C. (2017) Positioning urban green building initiatives: Vancouver’s Greenest City 2020 Action Plan. Journal of Cleaner Production 164(15), 676-685.
- Preller, B., Affolderbach, J., Schulz, C., Fastenrath, S. and Braun, B. (2017) Interactive knowledge generation in urban green building transitions. The Professional Geographer 69(2), 214-224.
- Affolderbach, J. and Carr, C. (2016) Blending scales of governance: Land use policies and practices in a small state. Regional Studies 50(6), 944-955.
- Affolderbach, J. and Schulz, C. (2016) Mobile transitions: exploring synergies for urban sustainability research. Urban Studies 53(9), 1942-1957.
- Clapp, A., Hayter, R., Affolderbach, J. and Guzman, L. (2016) Innovation, Remapping and Institutional Thickening in Forest Peripheries: Reflections from the Great Bear Rainforest. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 41(3), 244-257.
- Affolderbach, J., Clapp, A. and Hayter, R. (2012) Environmental bargaining and boundary organizations: Remapping British Columbia’s ‘Great Bear’ rainforest. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 102(6), 1391-1408.
- Affolderbach, J. (2011) Environmental bargaining: Power struggles and decision-making over Tasmania and British Columbia’s old-growth forests. Economic Geography 87(2), 181-206.
Book chapters and other contributions
- Affolderbach, J., Hülz, M. & Lange, B. (2024) Sorgen und Caring: Prozesse der Sorgearbeit und Praktiken der Fürsorge. Lange, B., Hülz, M., Schmid, B. & Schulz, C. (eds.) Wohlstandsalternativen: Positionen, Praktiken und Prozesse. Transcript Verlag, 107-135.
- Affolderbach, J. & Heuckmann, B. (2024) Die Plastikkrise als Thema einer Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung. Geographische Rundschau Heft 7/8, 10-15.
- Affolderbach, J. & Schulz, C. (2024) Construction and the green economy. In: Ström, P. & Jones, A. (Eds.) Research Handbook on the Green Economy. Edgar Elgar, 160-177.
- Affolderbach, J., Heuckmann, B., Jensen, A. & Wöhner, J. (2024) Plastikkreisläufe durch regionale Lehr-Lern-Netzwerke schließen. Lehren & Lernen 2 (April), 21-24.
- Affolderbach, J., Preller, B. and Schulz, C. (2017) Urban energy transitions through innovations in green building, in König, A. (ed.) Science and Citizens meet Challenges of Sustainability. Edgar Elgar, 219-233.
- Schulz, C. and Affolderbach, J. (2015) Grünes Wachstum und alternative Wirtschaftsformen. Geographische Rundschau 5, 4-9.
- Carr, C. and Affolderbach, J. (2014) Editorial: Rescaling Sustainability? Local opportunities and scalar contradictions. Local Environment 19(6), 567-571.
- Preller, B., Affolderbach, J., Schulz, C., Fastenrath, S. and Braun, B. (2014) Interaktive Transitionsforschung und Wissensgenerierung im Bereich nachhaltiges Bauen, Planung neu denken pnd|online, Schwerpunktheft “Transition”, Ausgabe III|2014 (http://www.planung-neu-denken.de/content/view/294/41).
- Affolderbach, J. and Mössner, S. (2014) Der Institutionenbegriff in der Humangeographie, in J. Oßenbrügge and A. Vogelpohl (eds.): Theorien in der Raum- und Stadtforschung – Eine Einführung (Westfälisches Dampfboot), 176-194.Affolderbach, J., Hülz, M. & Lange, B. (2024) Sorgen und Caring: Prozesse der Sorgearbeit und Praktiken der Fürsorge. Lange, B., Hülz, M., Schmid, B. & Schulz, C. (eds.) Wohlstandsalternativen: Positionen, Praktiken und Prozesse. Transcript Verlag, 107-135.
Service (current)
since 2023 | Representative of Geography, Fachbereich VI, Universität Trier |
since 2023 | Member of the Senate Committee for Quality Management, Trier University |
since 2023 | Member of the Faculty Committee, Faculty of Spatial and Environmental Sciences, Trier University |
since 2021 | Steering committee member of the Center for European Studies (ZES), Trier University |
since 2021 | Member of the Structural Working Group, Faculty of Spatial and Environmental Sciences, Trier University |
since 2020 | Member of the Committee for Teaching and Learning of the Faculty of Spatial and Environmental Sciences, Trier University |
since 2020 | Member of the Finance Committee of the Faculty of Spatial and Environmental Sciences, Trier University |
since 2020 | Deputy Gender Equity Representative, Faculty of Spatial and Environmental Sciences, Trier University |
since 2018 | Committee member on a number of hiring committees at the University of Hull and Trier University |
Reviews
Journals
Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Economic Geography, Environmental Politics, Environment & Planning C, Environment & Planning D, Environmental Politics, GAIA, Geoforum, Human Geography, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, Local Environment, McGill Law Journal, Planning Practice and Research, Standort, Town Planning Review, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, Urban Planning, Urban Studies and others
Grants
Dutch Research Council Netherlands
Economic and Social Research Council UK
German Research Foundation
National Science Foundation USA