Loss – A Perspective on Socio-Ecological Transformation in the City

Structural Change & Participation

Transformation is not only a turning toward the new, but always also an emotionally experienced departure from what is familiar. Forms of “winding down,” “opting out,” or “farewell” constitute core elements of change.

In this sense, drawing on empirical research conducted among others in Halle (Saale), the project explores the significance of experiences, practices, and sites of loss within processes of socio-ecological transformation in cities. The central claim is that by engaging collectively with loss, transformative change can be shaped and implemented more effectively.

Socio-ecological transformation processes toward a more sustainable and just society currently pose a major challenge. These processes are particularly dynamic in cities, where the tasks of shaping sustainable development are concentrated and transformations are negotiated under conditions of diverse and often competing interests. Transformation, however, is not only a turn toward the new; it also entails an emotionally experienced departure from what is familiar and established, thereby producing various forms of loss. Experiences, practices, and sites of loss are therefore likely to gain increasing significance in urban contexts and to shape the negotiation of socio-ecological transformation pathways at the municipal level. The analysis of urban loss relations within transformation contexts remains an understudied field, which this study seeks to address.

The project examines different experiences of loss associated with socio-ecological transformation and the ways in which loss is dealt with in urban spaces. By identifying actors and practices related to loss and loss-work, and through a subsequent analysis of sites of loss, the study explores how diverse loss relations manifest in everyday urban contexts, shape local relational networks, and influence negotiations over sustainable transformation pathways. The project combines the conceptual development of loss as an analytical perspective with empirical research in central Germany (particularly Halle/Saale), investigating which actors are confronted with loss, in what ways, and which practices of loss-work emerge. It also integrates artistic-photographic methods to capture spatial articulations of loss in the city. The project advances the claim that socio-ecological transformation can be more effectively shaped through a productive societal engagement with urban loss relations, while also addressing planning-relevant perspectives for sustainable urban development.

Project Partner: Prof. Dr. Simon Runkel, Sozialgeographie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena

Project Website