RT Journal Article
T1 Socioecological Transition and Community Resilience: Learning from 12 Social Experiences in Seville (Spain)
A1 Calvo Salazar, Manuel
A1 García García, Antonio
A1 Torres Gutiérrez, Francisco José
A1 Berraquero-Díaz, Luis
A1 Pérez Bernal, Marian
K1 Socioecological transition
K1 Community resilience
K1 Seville
K1 Social cohesion
K1 Case study
AB A major challenge that will confront our society in the coming years is the socioecological transition. This involves a profound, systemic shift in how human societies interact with ecological systems. Beyond merely becoming “greener” or adding new technologies, it is about reorganising economies, lifestyles, institutions and cultural values to align with the planet’s ecological limits. The change also requires transforming the fundamental structure of societies to ensure their deep interconnection and compatibility with natural flows and ecological systems. To this end, it is valuable to explore the small, scattered practices which are currently leading to new organisational solutions or socioecological improvements. These initiatives are often regarded as forms of community resistance, adopting various approaches and strategies, which result in a disparate array of configurations. A comprehensive approach is thus needed to identify common patterns of development. A set of meaningful practices was analysed. The sample actions all took place in the urban context of Seville, a city located in Southwestern Europe and spanned various arenas driven by the transition to sustainability. Following the principles of qualitative research and a case study design, we adopted a qualitative method based on open-ended interviews, emphasising situated knowledge and collective construction of meaning. Moreover, a methodological approach based on interviews and further categorisation was followed to describe and organise ideas, motivations, risks, outcomes, as well as how the experiences evolved. The findings revealed that the core motivation driving the initiative in its initial phases is key. Outcomes nevertheless vary significantly depending on the initiative objectives. Generally, actions focused on specific elements—such as defending precise locations or activities—tend to be more successful and abundant. But the ones based on professional developments end up being somewhat stifled since they depend on the market to succeed. However, most rely somehow on public subsidies or support from public institutions, and their activities tend to diminish when such resources are reduced or withdrawn. The question is therefore how to make these initiatives more resilient in the future. The socioecological transition offers a path to strengthen social cohesion, empower collective action, and generate locally rooted and ecologically sustainable alternatives. Building community resilience—the capacity of local communities to adapt, recover and thrive amid these challenges—is, therefore, essential.
PB MDPI
YR 2025
FD 2025-11-05
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10433/26310
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10433/26310
LA en
NO Socioecological Transition and Community Resilience: Learning from 12 Social Experiences in Seville (Spain). Architecture 2025, 5, 106.
NO Funding: This research is part of the R&D+i Project Collective Networks for Everyday Community Resilience and Ecological Transition (CONECT) (PCI 2022-133014), funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.Institutional Review Board Statement: The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Review Board (or Ethics Committee) of UNIVERSIDAD PABLO DE OLAVIDE (24 July 2025).
NO Departamento de Geografía, Historia y Filosofía
DS RIO
RD May 8, 2026