Social enterprises received growing attention since the financial crisis started in 2008, due to severe public sector cut backs and the inability of current structures and policies to meet social problems. This development has also been accelerated by the dissatisfaction of consumers and society in private …

In this chapter, the authors elaborate on serious games and playful interactions in modern scientific practices, and on the way they can engender mutual scientific growth. They use a research-through-design approach, in which three possible scenarios and prototypes are studied to envisage the new role …

The participation of people in planning and implementation is believed to contribute to the relevance of development projects and the empowerment of local people. MRRD needs knowledge on people participation in the rural development project. The objective of this research was to assess villagers’ participation …

Climate change has great ecological consequences for animals. Furthermore, these changes can differ among different geographical areas. In birds it has been found that they can cause mismatches with their food supply as they do not respond to climate change at the same pace. By understanding more about …

Politics defines many aspects of people’s lives, even when most of them are not directly involved in political processes and have no chance to do so. Born 2500 years ago in Athens, for broader public democracy became the way to influence their societies’ lives: discussions that were previously held behind …

Emerging during the negotiations for the unratified Constitutional Treaty and officially launched with the Treaty of Lisbon, the European Citizens' Initiative allows citizens to invite the European Commission to propose legislation to the European Parliament and the Council based on an idea which gathers …

In human-controlled environments, areas of wild plants are 'translated' into cultivated landscapes to accommodate social, cultural and economic needs. This article explores indoor, agricultural and (sub)urban landscape in the Netherlands, focusing on the use of plants both indoors and outdoors, and reveals …

The authors consider the reality that endless economic growth on a finite planet is unsustainable, especially if society has exceeded ecological limits. The paper examines various aspects of society's endless growth predicament. It reviews the idea that there are 'limits to growth'; it then considers …

In the context of the participation society, roles and expectations of citizens and municipalities are vastly changing. While designers and design researchers explore the potentials of apps to empower citizens, municipalities are interested in data dashboards—accompanied by applications and community …