Territorial Ecology and Socio-ecological Transition

In the same realm as social ecology, industrial ecology and the circular economy, a new interdisciplinary field is growing: territorial ecology. Based on the analysis of the metabolism of human societies at a local level, it helps us diagnose a socioecosystem. This diagnostic is not only based on what is circulating, but also on how it is organized and why. Who is at the origin of a flow? What are their motivations? Who has the power to make decisions about it? This methodology, taking into account both the material description of human societies and the analysis of decisionmaking processes, might also be relevant for territorial diagnostics. It leads us to a systemic view of the consequences of individual and collective actions on the sustainability of local socio ecosystems. Socio-ecological transition implies a substantial evolution of human societies. Innovation, be it technological, organizational or social, is intrinsically involved in this evolution. However, if transition calls for disruptive rather than incremental innovations, we must also assess these innovations with a systemic view of their consequences.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi Chapter 1. Positioning Territorial Ecology in the Scientific and Institutional Context 1 1.1. Positioning of territorial ecology from a scientific point of view 2 1.1.1. Urban ecology 3 1.1.2. Industrial ecology 6 1.1.3. From industrial ecology to industrial and territorial ecology 9 1.1.4. The social ecology of Vienna 11 1.1.5. Toward a territorial ecology 12 1.2. Positioning in the institutional context 16 1.2.1. The evolution of concepts around sustainability 17 1.2.2. From industrial ecology to circular economy 20 1.2.3. A variation of circularity: the bioeconomy 22 1.2.4. An effective consideration of the stakes 23 1.3. Conclusion 25 Chapter 2. Main Methodologies Developed Around Urban and Territorial Metabolism: Contributions and Limitations 27 2.1. The main principles of metabolism 27 2.1.1. Plurality of objectives and methods 28 2.1.2. The implementation of the Eurostat method at the territorial level 30 2.1.3. A tool for analysis and comparison between territories 32 2.2. The rise of social metabolism and the territorial footprint 35 2.2.1. The different facets of the place of energy in metabolism 36 2.2.2. The central place of the foodprint 39 2.2.3. ... as well as the place of water 43 2.2.4. The stakes of social metabolism 48 2.3. Contributing to better knowledge of territorial issues 50 2.3.1. A more participatory approach 51 2.3.2. A more territorially focused approach 53 2.4. Conclusion 54 Chapter 3. A Wealth Creation Approach for a Territorial Diagnosis Methodology 57 3.1. The model of wealth creation subsystems 59 3.1.1. The starting model 60 3.1.2. Multiple questions 66 3.2. Methods of analysis of the relationships between stakeholders within the territorial metabolism 69 3.2.1. Which stakeholders should be taken into account? 70 3.2.2. How to take into account the relationships between stakeholders? 74 3.3. Conclusion 89 Chapter 4. Territorial Ecology and the Challenges of the Socio-ecological Transition: Metabolism, Capacity and Resilience 91 4.1. Capabilities 92 4.1.1. The rise of individualistic freedom 92 4.1.2. A certain approach to freedom 94 4.1.3. Individual capabilities or collective capabilities 95 4.1.4. Territory and capabilities 100 4.2. Better integration of the relationship to the environment within the metabolism 102 4.2.1. Socio-ecosystems and nature’s contribution to people 104 4.2.2. A socio-ecosystemic approach to wealth 105 4.3. Territorial capability and resilience: a means to tackle transition issues 109 4.3.1. Vulnerability and resilience 110 4.3.2. Capability and resilience of territorial systems 112 4.3.3. Beaufort cheese: between vulnerability and resilience 116 4.4. Conclusion 124 Chapter 5. Principles for Innovative Territorial Projects 127 5.1. Conventional regimes and principles 130 5.1.1. Conventions 130 5.1.2. Conventional values and reference points 132 5.1.3. Conventional regimes 134 5.2. From the dominant conventional regime to a more sustainable one 135 5.2.1. The basis of the dominant conventional regime 136 5.2.2. What might the characteristics be of a sustainable conventional regime? 141 5.3. Toward innovative regional projects 150 5.3.1. What innovation? 151 5.3.2. Local initiatives at the heart of the alternative regime 152 5.3.3. Is there a rise of an alternative regime? 154 5.3.4. The key role of politics 158 5.4. Conclusion 159 Conclusion 161 References 165 Index 179

About the Author :
Nicolas Buclet is Professor at the Institut d�Urbanisme et de Géographie Alpine and the PACTE laboratory in Grenoble, France. He is a specialist in the coordination between social actors, based on the theory of the economics of convention. He contributes to the growth of territorial ecology, linking it with principles and values that promote the sustainability of human societies.