Intentional Community in Gaviotas, Colombia

Can a thriving community be created in a harsh, socially hostile environment, and can it last? What lessons can be learned from Gaviotas, Colombia? Gaviotas is an intentional community in eastern Columbia established by Paulo Lugari in the mid 60’s. The ecosystem consisted of “llanos”, savannas that seasonally flood. The intent of the community was to find ways to make the region more habitable. Through Colombian and UNDP grants in the 70’s [...]

Schyst Resande (Fair Travel)

Can tourism be remodelled to encourage learning about sustainable, ethical travel?  Tourism is a global industry, and also seen as an important part of economic growth, especially in developing countries. It can be a very positive thing, but it needs to be done in a fair and sustainable way. That is not the case in most places today, and getting the information on how to be a responsible traveller out [...]

Community Dialogue Sessions in the Urato Islands

How can new ways of discussion trigger action towards sustainability? Community dialogue sessions were organised by sustainability researchers in the Satoyama Initiative to discuss rebuilding and revitalisation of the Urato Islands after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on the 11th of March 2011.  These sessions were key turning points for the rebuilding process of the Urato Islands.  Two dialogues were held, the first in 2012 and the second in 2014.  Strong collaboration between local [...]

2015-10-22T13:13:00+00:00community, Food system, Integrated social-environmental, Social-Ecological Seeds|Comments Off on Community Dialogue Sessions in the Urato Islands

Cities for People

How can we turn individual urban improvement initiatives into systemic change to produce resilient, livable cities? Cities for People is an initiative based in Montreal, Canada that believes that like an ecosystem, a city’s strength and resilience depends on its ability to nurture the full diversity of its inhabitants and give them what they need not just to survive, but thrive. Cities for people has focussed on fostering collaboration, cross-pollinating [...]

2015-10-20T18:47:12+00:00community, infrastructure, Social Seeds, sustainable living, urban ecology|Comments Off on Cities for People

Songdo Smart City

Can technology and green building provide a prosperous, enjoyable, and sustainable life? Songdo is a newly built "smart city" near Seoul, South Korea. Songdo International Business District (Songdo IBD) has been built of reclaimed land on Incheon's waterfront, 65 km southwest of the megapolis  Seoul, South Korea, and close to the Incheon International Airport.  As its name indicates Songdo was designed as a corporate aerotropolis, and is part of the much larger city of Incheon.  It [...]

2015-10-15T13:14:00+00:00business, infrastructure, Urban|Comments Off on Songdo Smart City

Adaptive Resilience in Drylands (ARiD) in Ricote, Spain

Can the knowledge developed by observing a small dryland village adapt to climate change be used in other places?  In spite of the challenges they pose, drylands have been successfully settled by humans over time, and constitute a “hot spot” for the study of adaptive resilience in dry climates. Ricote, in SE Spain, provides an example of adaptive resilience in drylands. For over 1000 years, the village of Ricote (c. [...]

2015-10-13T09:05:45+00:00Food system, Integrated social-environmental, Social-Ecological Seeds|Comments Off on Adaptive Resilience in Drylands (ARiD) in Ricote, Spain

The Farm

Can new communities founded on novel personal beliefs lead to lasting change? The Farm is an experimental community founded in 1971 when several hundred 'hippies' moved from San Francisco to Tennessee to develop a new way of living.  The Farm is a long-lasting example of an intentional community that has evolved and produced a number of world influencing innovations.  Ina May Gaskin, a founding resident, became a world famous innovator in midwifery.  And both she and the NGO Plenty International, [...]

2015-10-09T16:02:23+00:00community, Education, health, Social-Ecological Seeds|Comments Off on The Farm

Project Tamar

Project Tamar is a marine conservation centre in Brazil that is internationally recognised marine conservation programme that involves coastal communities directly in its socio-ecological research and activities. The primary mission of the Tamar, is research, conservation and management of the five species of sea turtles that occur in Brazil, all threatened with extinction. It protects about 1 100km of turtle habitat in 25 locations across 9 Brazilian states. Project Tamar was [...]

2015-10-01T15:45:00+00:00Brazil, Conservation|Comments Off on Project Tamar
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