Social acceptance of district heating: evidence from the Netherlands

The Netherlands Climate Change Agreement aims to reduce CO₂ emissions and seismic events by halting natural gas usage by 2050. This will require widespread societal acceptance by 90% of households. The study investigates the social acceptance of a district heating network (DHN) among social housing tenants in Haarlem, Netherlands....

From gas to green: designing a social contagion strategy for the energy transition in Rotterdam, the Netherlands

To reach the 2050 climate goals, massive socio-technical transitions are required. For requisite impact, not only industry and government need to transform, but a critical mass of society must adopt greener alternatives. However, people have a tendency to maintain the status quo and often resist change until a final moment of urgency or crisis....

Exploring co-creation with agri-food smallholders in Vietnam

The food system in Vietnam is changing whilst the middle class is growing. Agrifood smallholders have the strengths of responding to the changing needs of the middle class by offering freshness, proximity and convenience but they also face increasing competition from larger and international firms. At the same time, issues with food safety are...

Transitioning Together, sparking change towards the energy transition: A handbook on Social Contagion

Having directly observed one of the most rapidly spreading global pandemics, we understand more than ever the power of contagion. In today’s interconnected world, trends originating in one corner, whether it’s a disease, clothing fashion, or an online social media challenge, can swiftly gain momentum on the opposite side of the globe, often...

Identifying behavioural change interventions that activate individuals to drive the energy transition process

Activating Energy Communities for Systemic Change

The speed of energy transition in the Netherlands is low, in contrast to its<br/>2050 climate change target of net-zero emissions. The transition requires 7.5 million households with natural gas connections, to move to renewable energy sources. The main challenge is not technical, many viable options are already available, but social: people...

Global water and energy losses from consumer avoidable food waste

Food products require significant amounts of energy and water throughout their lifecycle, yet humanity wastes 1.3e9 tons of food on a yearly basis. A large part of this waste occurs during the consumption (post-retail) phase of the food system as avoidable food waste, the discarded edible (parts of) food products. In this study, we explore the...

Key competencies for design in a circular economy: Exploring gaps in design knowledge and skills for a circular economy

In a recent study, we identified seven key circular competencies for design: (1) Design for Multiple Use Cycles, (2) Design for Recovery, (3) Circular Impact Assessment, (4) Circular Business Models, (5) Circular User Engagement, (6) Circular Economy Collaboration, and (7) Circular Economy Communication. These were derived from small‐scale...

Circular economy competencies for design

This study addresses what competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) designers need in order to successfully design products and services for a circular economy. Existing literature, though sparse, has identified a number of circular economy competencies for design. Yet, a coherent overview is lacking. To complement the competencies found...

Design and transition management: value of synergy for sustainability

This paper aims to understand the value of synergy between the field of design and that of transition management for sustainability. Six potential values of synergy are identified: (1) enriched methods of retrieving knowledge of current objects and current systems; (2) providing boundary objects in transition arenas beyond language games; (3)...

Design competencies for a circular economy

Limited research has been done on design competencies for a circular economy in practice. Yet, an overview of design competencies for a circular economy would be useful to understand which topics should be emphasized in both education and practice. This paper focuses on deriving circular economy competencies for product designers working in...

Landscape of participatory city makers: A distinct understanding through different lenses

Today, citizens, professionals, civil servants, social enterprises, and others form different types of coalitions to overcome the challenges facing our modern cities. In this paper, the particularities of these types of groups are characterised and categorised into ten different types of city makers. Generally, these types of city makers bring...

Co-Creation Dynamics in Urban Living Labs

Citizens and urban policy makers are experimenting with collaborative ways to tackle wicked urban issues, such as today’s sustainability challenges. In this article, we consider one particular way of collaboration in an experimental setting: Urban Living Labs (ULLs). ULLs are understood as spatially embedded sites for the co-creation of...

Sustainable Food by Design: Co-design and Sustainable Consumption Among the Urban Middle Class of Vietnam

Growing unsustainable consumption in Vietnam is a pressing issue, especially in urban areas. The effects of rapid economic growth, industrialization and increasing wealth in combination with a young, growing population makes that the middle class of Vietnam is on the rise. This movement within the population is making room to form and introduce...

Co-design and Sustainable Food in Vietnam

Co-creation for sustainable products and actions is a new approach to most of Vietnamese enterprises and consumers. The co-design workshop between companies and customers is an innovative way to bring them together, create mutual understanding and put the spotlight on sustainability. Through the GetGreen Vietnam project promoting sustainable...

Ten types of emerging city makers

Shaping Spaces of Interaction for Sustainable Transitions

Terra Cotta in Transition: Connecting the traditional terra cotta craft village Thanh Hà to potential markets

Thanh Hà is a traditional craft village in central Vietnam. For centuries the families in the village have been making terra cotta products from the local found clay. Traditionally Thanh Hà focused on making building materials for the houses of nearby H?i An, a city only two kilometers from Thanh Hà. For centuries the bricks, floor and roof...