The invention of mass broadcasting allowed people all around the globe to experience different cultures, languages, and worldviews, without the need for travel. More recently, due to the development of the internet and especially the popularisation of social media, we are now also able to directly interact, …

Background Positive Energy Districts, which incorporate energy planning at the district level, are a pioneering concept for sustainable, smart and climate-neutral urban development. This concept supports creating communities that generate more annual energy than they consume. To this end, integrative …

In the face of increasingly complex societal challenges, the field of social design is being called upon to deepen its ability to create long-term, systemic impact. This project, conducted with five experienced social designers and one workshop in our ESConference in 2025, explored how systems thinking, …

Urban living labs (ULLs) are experimental governance mechanisms accelerating sustainability transitions in the built environment, yet their governance implications and systemic impact are often under-examined. A comparative analysis of six ULLs is presented with a focus on positive energy districts (PEDs) …

"Europe’s energy transition requires not only technological innovation but also new educational approaches that equip future professionals to navigate complex social, technical, and governance challenges. This expert article examines how students from Avans University of Applied Sciences contribute to …

"The Canastell Zero Waste project at CIPFP Canastell fosters an innovative and inclusive learning initiative that brings together all vocations and levels of education,from Basic Qualification Programmes to Higher Vocational Training, promoting both social and ecological sustainability. It also encourages …

"The transition to a sustainable energy system demands not only technical innovation but also social engagement and collaborative governance. This paper presents a case study from Zoetermeer, a mid-sized city in the Netherlands, where the number of citizen-led energy initiatives grew from four to fourteen …

The Zero Waste project, implemented at a vocational training centre, fosters an innovative and inclusive learning initiative that unites all vocational areas and levels of education, from Basic Qualification Programmes to Higher Vocational Training, promoting both social and ecological sustainability.​ …

Dit boek bevat een selectie van wijsheden van de ruim honderd deelnemers aan het luisterexperiment van onderzoeksgroep Creative Media for Social Change tijdens de Kennisparade van de Hogeschool van Amsterdam (2024). Onder begeleiding van Esther Kamara en Tamara Witschge omvatte het experiment luisteroefeningen, …

Pregnancy can be challenging for women as they experience various physical, psychological, and social changes that can lead to stress and potential mental health concerns. Being neglected in the long-term, sustained stress can increase the likelihood of postpartum depression, which can have significant …