Learning in, with, and through the Territory: Territory-Based Learning as a Catalyst for Urban Sustainability

Daniele T. P. Souza, Eugenia A. Kuhn, Arjen E. J. Wals and Pedro R. Jacobi
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Daniele T. P. Souza: Graduate Program of Environmental Science, Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Eugenia A. Kuhn: Department of Urbanism, School of Architecture, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 320, Porto Alegre 90050-170, Brazil
Arjen E. J. Wals: Education and Learning Sciences Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University andResearch, 6700EW Wageningen, The Netherlands
Pedro R. Jacobi: Graduate Program of Environmental Science, Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-19

Abstract: Territorial problems such as the socio-ecological degradation of urban rivers represent a great challenge to achieving sustainability in cities. This issue demands collaborative efforts and the crossing of boundaries determined by actors that act from diverse spheres of knowledge and systems of practice. Based on an integrative territory notion and the boundary approach, the goal of this paper is to comprehend the boundary crossings that take place in multi-actor initiatives towards the resolution of this problem and what type of territorial transformation is produced as an outcome. Our analysis is built on participatory research on the Taquara Stream case, a degraded watercourse in a socio-ecologically vulnerable area, in southern Brazil. Our data analysis applied a visual chronological narrative and an interdisciplinary theoretical framework of analysis that combined concepts related to the territory (geography) and the boundary approach (education). We verified that local territorial issues functioned as boundary objects, fostering and facilitating dialogical interaction among involved actors, knowledge co-production, and collaborative practical actions that led to changes in the territory in terms of practices, comprehensions, and physical concrete transformations. We framed this study as one of territory-based learning meant to advance the understanding of territorial intervention processes towards urban sustainability.

Keywords: urban sustainability; vulnerable communities; territory; boundary crossing; boundary objects; brokers; social learning; knowledge co-production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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