The use of digital layers in post-growth communities - an exploratory study

Other conference contribution, 2023

The pursuit of infinite growth on a planet with finite resources is leading to a failure in achieving global sustainable transition goals. The concept of Degrowth or 'post-growth' has emerged as a counter-movement advocating for alternative approaches focused on living within resource constraints. Within this context, small-scale communities with post-growth orientations are particularly interesting, as they actively explore their own alternative development models. These communities have potential to act as decentralised laboratories for radical change, translating Degrowth/post-growth theory into actionable practices. This paper examines how the operational tools have changed for post-growth communities since 2004 (Web 2.0). Through in-depth interviews with tech-savvy representatives in this field, the study explores the potential of "new" technologies to empower post-growth communities.