Social innovation for territorial sustainability
Keywords:
social innovation, territorial sustainability, collaborative governance, local development, community participation, territorial resilience.Abstract
Social innovation has become a strategic approach to addressing territorial problems that cannot be resolved through technological, economic or governmental interventions. This article analyses its contribution to territorial sustainability, considering its capacity to mobilise actors, strengthen collaborative governance, activate endogenous resources and generate context-sensitive solutions to social inequalities, environmental degradation, climate vulnerability and the weakening of local economies. A narrative review was conducted of literature published mainly between 2015 and 2024, identified through academic databases and institutional repositories using descriptors related to social innovation, territorial development, sustainability, governance, resilience and community participation. The synthesis was organised around conceptual foundations, actors and collaborative networks, fields of application, enabling factors, barriers and scaling mechanisms. Findings indicate that social innovation contributes to sustainability when it promotes participation, collective learning, trust, multilevel coordination and recognition of local knowledge. Its effects are relevant to energy transition, agri-food systems, risk management, the social and solidarity economy, urban regeneration and rural development. However, its continuity may be constrained by financial dependence, institutional fragmentation, power asymmetries, weak outcome evaluation and the mechanical transfer of experiences between territories. The review concludes that social innovation is not an isolated solution but a territorial process requiring flexible public policies, community capabilities, lasting partnerships and evaluation systems that integrate social, environmental, economic, cultural and institutional impacts. This perspective shifts attention from short-term projects towards durable transformations rooted in place, while recognising that innovations must be adapted rather than replicated and supported by inclusive institutions capable of connecting local experimentation with sustainability agendas.
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References
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