«Thriving Spaces»: Sustainability and Spatial Development

Mobility, housing, and individual choices profoundly impact patterns of land use, both in Switzerland and abroad. In the report "Priority Themes for Swiss Sustainability Research", the Swiss Academies identified “Thriving Spaces” to be one of six priority areas where we need to take action. The concept of thriving spaces relates to how we perceive, use, change, restore, and protect our spaces, and how lifestyle choices and economic activities can be reconciled as part of a sustainable whole. Changing course will require being inspired by the best examples of sustainable land use and developing a shared vision of the way forward. The most important unresolved issues listed in the report include, for example, exploring the factors underlying unsustainable lifestyles; dealing with urban-rural divides and unequal opportunities; the impact of (economic) cost transparency on realising a sustainable use of our space; or realising inclusive processes to shape the future together. These and the other proposed most important unresolved issues are now to be put up for discussion and debated more broadly, with the aim of networking the various specialist communities in science and practice and making the topic a strong, integrative and transdisciplinary field of research.

Read the full report here.

Authors: Dr Eva Spehn