Shaping sustainability: Is there an unreleased potential in utopian thought?

Abstract

This article develops from the argument that sustainable development primarily will be restricted to rhetorical discourse if the utopian dimension of politics and planning is neglected. I will firstly discuss what is typical for utopian thought in general as well as its potential role in politics and planning. Secondly, I will briefly explore of the contemporary politics of sustainable development with the focus on its utopian dimensions, and thirdly, I will also comment on the different kinds and forms of utopian thought that should be relevant for sustainability projects on different levels. My conclusions are that the utopian language is flourishing in many of the discourses on sustainable development, especially in comparison to other fields of politics, but that the role of utopian thought in this area needs to be reflected on and more thoroughly recognized in the practical endeavors taken in this area.