Sustainable welfare: urban areas and transformational action

Abstract

In times of the daunting challenges of climate change, and the continuing lack of evidence for absolute decoupling of GDP growth, material resource use and carbon emissions, there is a need for significant decrease in material and energy throughputs, while also reducing structural inequalities and maintaining critical levels of wellbeing. The emerging concept of 'sustainable welfare', which addresses the intersection of the environment and welfare, may provide a way forward. In this chapter, we further develop the concept of sustainable welfare by considering the urban area as a site for potential social-ecological transformational action through the theoretical lens of Tönnies's 'Gesellschaft', referring to the largely unsustainable status quo, and 'Gemeinschaft', referring to alternative practices and community-based initiatives with the potential to challenge status quo. The chapter aims to show that there are good reasons for emphasising 'Gemeinschaft' as a theme and the urban level as providing a location or site of practices and struggles relevant for social-ecological transformations.