Articles
ENOUGH Thriving Societies Beyond Growth
This book is a compelling narrative about a world with less inequality and fewer private jets, burn-outs and landfill sites, about a healthy planet with more quality of life, time for each other and sustainable products. In other words, about a good life for everyone...
The Tilting City
This publication aims to draw an image of what the city of the future could look like. We show alternatives to the current urban models and how they can be future-proof. This text will serve as a valuable source of information and bring up new thoughts among citizens...
A postgrowth economy needs new institutions
It is an insight we can no longer ignore: the economy cannot keep growing on a finite planet. The illusion of infinite growth disrupted the natural processes that provided a stable living environment, with ever more frequent heat waves, forest fires, hurricanes, and...
Resilience Under Shock: Time for a Paradigm Shift
Governments compete on the global market for medical equipment produced elsewhere. Squeezed public sectors are stretched beyond their limits and the social consequences of shutdowns reverberate across the world. The coronavirus crisis has fundamentally questioned how...
Emancipation in the neoliberal era: Rethinking transition with Karl Polanyi
Emancipation in the Neoliberal Era: Rethinking Transition with Karl Polanyi The economic historian Karl Polanyi charted the development of market society. Moving beyond a simple opposition between the state and the market, his seminal The Great Transformation...
Creating socio-ecological societies through urban commons transitions
The new role of cities in our society. Almost 75% of Europeans live in cities nowadays. At the same time, cities are becoming a crucial transnational governance level. They are organising themselves in a whole tissue of networks, like Eurocities, Fearless Cities or...
Public-Civil-Partnerships for a Better City
Imagine: an urban politician wants to impose that some streets become car-free during summer. Even if reasons are good – better air quality, kids get room to play – the result is quite predictable. The residents of the streets would revolt, for different reasons. Some...
A new social contract for the 21st century
From the gilet jaunes to young climate marchers around the world, a new surge of protestors is voicing discontent and demanding a change of course to ensure a sustainable future that is fair to citizens and environment. Dirk Holemans gives his take on striking a new...
Appraisal of the new wave of commons in the light of Polanyi’s double movement
A case study of newly established commons in Belgium By Dirk Holemans, Stijn Oosterlynck and Tine De Moor This paper about commons in Belgium has been presented at the 3rd EMES-Polanyi International Seminar: 'Welfare societies in transition' (Roskilde...
(W)E-Democracy: Will Parliament survive the Digital Era?
Hopeful approaches to democracy in digital times The 21st century democracy in Europe is in dire straits. Citizens feel disconnected with politics. Many people, especially youngsters, no longer see the traditional democracy as a good system of governance. Democracy...