Rural, remote, and wild territories, are collectively identified as “countryside” or “peripheral” areas. Yet, these areas take up 98 % of the Earth’s surface. When we think of these areas, we often tend to bring up the disadvantages compared to more urbanised places, often referred to as center. The urbanisation is increasing steadily and by 2030 more than 80 % of the world population in the most developed countries will live in cities. The worlds’ cities are estimated to account for around 75 % of the energy consumption and approximately 70 % of the carbon dioxide emissions.
There are pros and cons, strenghts and weaknesses with both urban and rural areas. Large-scale planning by political forces, climate change, migration, human and nonhuman ecosystems, market-driven preservation, artificial and organic coexistence, and other forms of radical experimentation are altering landscapes across the world. And through the pandemic and digitization there has been a turn in the dominant paradigm of urban living and peripheralities.
Researchers usually study either the city or the countryside. At the same time there is a constant flow between cities and countryside. Can we redefine or rethink peripheries and center? What do we need to do to make radical imagination of future living in the countryside and in cities become a reality? Can we find local solutions on work, food supply, social services, culture, circular economies, energy supply and direct democracy? And how can local initiatives be used in other places?
In Social Innovation Foresight #2 we reflect and discuss the topic Redefining peripheries.
Yotam Ben-Hur, architect, designer, and researcher, now working at Harvard University School of Design and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), will start with a keynote followed by a talk with Jan Åman, Curator and consultant now working Duved Framtid in Jämtland, in the middle of Sweden, and Caroline Wigren-Kristoferson, Professor in urban studies, entrepreneurship and innovation at Malmö University.
The event is moderated by Johanna Koljonen, a well-known and popular Finnish-Swedish media analyst, author and experience designer with a background within broadcasting.
Time:
7 December, at 9 to 10 AM CET.
Place: The event is digital and will be broadcasted on our webpage https://socialinnovation.se/si/social-innovation-foresight
Social Innovation Foresight will be recorded and published on Forum for Social Innovation Sweden's Youtube channel.
