SustainERA Research Talk #13 by Angelos Varvarousis
How does degrowth take shape in the real world? What can we learn from places where communities resist economic growth, adapt to its limits, or find ways to thrive without it?
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iCal calendarWe warmly invite you to join us for SustainERA Public Research Talk #13, featuring Dr Angelos Varvarousis from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, who will explore the spatial dimensions of degrowth and what real-world experiences can teach us about building more sustainable and desirable futures.
About the Talk
Degrowth is often discussed as a future-oriented vision — a call to reduce resource consumption, rethink economic systems, and develop alternatives to growth-driven societies. But what if degrowth is not merely a future possibility? What if it already exists in the places we inhabit?
In this talk, Dr Angelos Varvarousis will explore degrowth as a tangible spatial, material, and social reality. Drawing on examples from real places, he will examine how communities resist growth-oriented development, adapt to changing socio-economic conditions, and create alternative ways of living and organizing their territories.
The talk will highlight how infrastructures, institutions, regulations, and collective imaginaries shape our environments — and how these same elements can be reoriented towards wellbeing, ecological sustainability, and ways of living that are less dependent on economic growth.
By examining diverse territorial experiences, the presentation will consider what enables these alternatives to emerge, how they endure, and what challenges threaten their continuity. Ultimately, it invites us to understand degrowth not only as a theoretical or political project, but also as a lived reality from which we can learn.
About the Speaker
Dr Angelos Varvarousis is a research professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB), Autonomous University of Barcelona. He is a human geographer, curator, and engineer whose research and practice span the Mediterranean region.
He has authored six books, including Liminal Commons (Bloomsbury Academic), which examines the possibilities and limitations of ritualized and ephemeral forms of collective action.
His work focuses on supporting urban and rural communities in recognizing their unique characteristics and collaboratively shaping sustainable and desirable futures.
Join us for an inspiring discussion on how real places can help us rethink growth, sustainability, and the futures we want to create.
About SustainERA
Running from 2025–2029, the ERA Chair in Sustainable Futures project (SustainERA) at Tallinn University combines high-level research with innovative solutions to promote sustainable mindsets and practices. The project is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe ERA Chair initiative.