URBiNAT researchers Beatriz Caitana, Milena Tasheva-Petrova and Nathalie Vallet have co-authored a chapter on “The role of Social and Solidarity Economy in the inclusive urban regeneration power of nature-based solutions: What can we learn from the Nadezhda district in Sofia?” published in the book Solidarity Economy – Alternative Spaces, Power and Politics.

In their chapter, the URBiNAT Researchers explore the Sofia Healthy Corridor:

The URBiNAT project’s regeneration of common urban spaces in deprived areas, funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, provides empirical evidence of Social and Solidarity Economy’s (SSE’s) contribution to the socio-economic adaptive capacity of nature-based solutions (NBS). The relationship between SSE and the perspective of inclusive urban regeneration offers many opportunities, when urban neighbourhoods are considered as a set of complex socio-economic, cultural and emotional relations rather than as spaces for circulation and living.

A literature study demonstrates, for instance, that: (1) SSE is grounded in territoriality and stimulates connection with physical space; (2) a fairer perspective, more conscious of production and consumption, reinforces interdependence between SSE and nature; (3) equitable access to resources allows us to question the naturalisation of economic inequalities in territories and (4) new forms of sociability and connection with the community are grounded in the democratic management of initiatives. This chapter describes empirical findings of an investigation of the SSE component of the strategy for Sofia’s Healthy Corridor (NBS clustering) in the Nadezhda district, characterised by initiatives such as a Repair café, Bread house and Farmers’ markets network. In this chapter, the adoption of SSE concepts and practices as part of the implementation of a Healthy Corridor demonstrates that NBS can constitute more than a “green solution” and thus support inclusive urban regeneration.

Solidarity Economy

Alternative Spaces, Power and Politics

Solidarity economy-based alternative spaces result from an interface among structural factors, institutional regimes and forms of collective action that mobilise narratives of change, collective identities and non-capitalist economic practices.

This book analyses how solidarity economy initiatives develop alternative spatialities as counterpower to mainstream economy. Based on case studies in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia, it elaborates on how different scales of solidarity economy-based alternative spaces result from an interface among structural factors, institutional regimes and forms of collective action that
mobilise narratives of change, collective identities and non- capitalist economic practices.

Edited By: Ana Margarida Fernandes Esteves, Tom Henfrey, Luciane Lucas dos Santos, Leonardo Leal

eBook Published 20 October 2023
Imprint: Routledge
eBook ISBN: 9781003306344

URBiNAT has a substantial and growing archive of academic papers, books, conference proceeding, policy white papers and other outputs in connection with the project.