Transformative spaces in the making

Key lessons from nine cases in the Global South

Bibliographic Data

ID12951200
AuthorsLaura Pereira (0000-0002-4996-7234, Stockholm Resilience Centre, corresponding author), Niki Frantzeskaki (0000-0002-6983-448X, Swinburne University of Technology), Aniek Hebinck (0000-0002-6441-374X, Erasmus University Rotterdam), Lakshmi Charli-Joseph (0000-0003-1524-3323, Instituto de Ecología), Scott Drimie (0000-0003-3827-8051, Stellenbosch University), Michelle Dyer (0000-0002-9863-0099, Stockholm Resilience Centre), Hallie Eakin (0000-0001-8253-1320, Arizona State University), Diego Galafassi (0000-0003-3572-9275, Stockholm Resilience Centre), Timothy Karpouzoglou (0000-0001-9568-9813, KTH Royal Institute of Technology), Fiona Marshall (0000-0002-1946-4150, University of Sussex), Michele‐Lee Moore (Stockholm Resilience Centre), P Olsson (0000-0002-9038-4786, Stockholm Resilience Centre), J Mario Siqueiros-Garcia (0000-0001-8008-6198, Instituto de Ecología), Patrick Van Zwanenberg (0009-0007-3495-3386, National University of General San Martín), Joost Vervoort (0000-0001-8289-7429, Utrecht University)
Year2019
Volume15
Issue1
Pages161-178
Publication date2019-11-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSustainability Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1862-4057 • E-ISSN: 1862-4065
PublisherSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s11625-019-00749-x
OpenAlexW2982716222
LanguageEN
Citations received98
References cited52

Creating a just and sustainable planet will require not only small changes, but also systemic transformations in how humans relate to the planet and to each other, i.e., social–ecological transformations. We suggest there is a need for collaborative environments where experimentation with new configurations of social–ecological systems can occur, and we refer to these as transformative spaces. In this paper, we seek a better understanding of how to design and enable the creation of transformative spaces in a development context. We analyse nine case studies from a previous special issue on Designing Transformative Spaces that aimed to collect examples of cutting-edge action-oriented research on transformations from the Global South. The analysis showed five design phases as being essential: Problem Definition Phase; Operationalisation Phase; Tactical Phase; Outcome Phase; and Reflection Phase. From this synthesis, we distilled five key messages that should be considered when designing research, including: (a) there are ethical dilemmas associated with creating a transformative space in a system; (b) it is important to assess the readiness of the system for change before engaging in it; (c) there is a need to balance between ‘safe’ and ‘safe-enough’ spaces for transformation; (d) convening a transformative space requires an assemblage of diverse methodological frameworks and tools; and (e) transformative spaces can act as a starting point for institutionalising transformative change. Many researchers are now engaging in transdisciplinary transformations research, and are finding themselves at the knowledge–action interface contributing to transformative space-making. We hope that by analysing experiences from across different geographies we can contribute towards better understanding of how to navigate the processes needed for the urgent global transformations that are being called for to create a more equitable and sustainable planet Earth

Action (physics · Action research · Biology · Context (archaeology · Engineering ethics · Pedagogy · Sociology · Sustainable development · Transformative learning · Complex Systems and Decision Making · Engineering · Innovation, Sustainability, Human-Machine Systems · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance · Ecology