STREAM 5
Geographical aspects of social innovation

Social Innovation is a territorial phenomenon, embedded in spaces, social relations and institutions that are defined by particular cross-scalar and cross-sectoral dynamics (Moulaert and MacCallum 2019:77). These dynamics mean that places/spaces have specific needs and their communities are enabled or disabled by specific resources and relations, including their governance systems, and its potential for socio-political transformation. Local and macro level socio-political relations, cultural dynamics, and material conditions interact to create particular challenges but also potential for social innovation to be a key driver of local and regional development. This means in essence, that the transformative potential of social innovation is rooted in its territoriality.

Thinking geographically about social innovation therefore means taking seriously questions of space, place, scale and proximity. Thinking geographically also draws attention to the nature of the ‘social’ in social innovation. In particular, the ways in which social connections, places and activities are brought into being through processes of innovation.

This stream calls for contributions on the following themes:

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• How does scale influence social innovation?

• How is social innovation incubated by communities in place, including marginalized communities or regions?

• Is social innovation as a way to enhance sustainable rural development?

• What is the contribution of social innovation to rural community resilience?

• How does social innovation relate to the social production of space?

• How can communities be empowered to participate in the decision making processes?

• Why some social innovations can be more successful in one place compared to another, and why some solutions spread beyond their place of origin and scale up?

• How can innovative policies target the ‘failures’ associated with transformative shifts?

• How does the digital alter the relationship between social innovation and place?

• What has the Covid crisis taught us about the geography of social innovation?

 

What critical tools and concepts does the discipline of geography bring to enhance our understanding of social innovation?