Spatialising Degrowth International Symposium

Degrowth has been explored in many disciplines, but there is not yet a single unified model. Still, researchers and activists agree that some form of degrowth—or something similar—is unavoidable. The concept can be understood in three overlapping ways: as a slogan, a social movement, and a scientific theory. This symposium emphasizes the last of these, while also showcasing real-world examples. The first day of the symposium offers a general introduction to the degrowth paradigm. Sessions will trace its intellectual roots in economics, activism, the social and hard sciences, highlighting how these fields have challenged the assumption of infinite growth since the 1970s. Contributors will outline why continuous economic expansion is environmentally unsustainable and socially unjust, and present alternative models that prioritize wellbeing, equity, and ecological balance. This opening day sets the stage for the more specific architectural and urban discussions that follow. The second day turns to the architecture and urbanism of degrowth, exploring scales from small interventions and housing to entire neighborhoods and cities. While ecological economics and related fields have debated degrowth for decades, its architectural and urban applications are still emerging. Presentations will highlight key theoretical contributions alongside international and Hungarian examples that demonstrate how degrowth can be translated into practice.