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Short abstract

We analyse the growing phenomenon of ‘atlases of alternatives’—i.e. online sites that respond to the widespread crisis of imagination by gathering and sharing unorthodox approaches to advancing justice and sustainability that are already happening in diverse places around the world.

Long abstract

In the face of multiple intersecting socio-ecological crises, society has struggled to develop compelling visions of better possible futures. Recent years have seen the proliferation of online atlases containing thousands of real-world initiatives that tackle justice and sustainability challenges in novel ways (e.g. Seeds of Good Anthropocenes, Atlas of Utopias, Urban Nature Atlas, Global Tapestry of Alternatives). However, what is defined as an 'alternative' and the potential of gathering such alternatives to shape imagination and action remains understudied. We analyzed 13 such atlases to examine the their theories of change and approaches to establishing and populating them, and their relationships to real world change. Our analysis reveals six design choices reflected in the atlases: 1) selecting alternatives—deciding what to include or exclude, 2) generating knowledge—deciding what knowledge to generate and for whom, 3) facilitating learning—deciding what kind of learning to facilitate around alternatives, 4) enabling alternatives—deciding how to support alternatives to grow, 5) institutionalizing action—deciding who to engage with to catalyse change, and 6) (de)constructing worlds—deciding how to counter the status quo versus imagine what does not yet exist. These design choices reflect distinct implicit theories and goals, which influence how alternatives are made visible, by whom and for whom, and how the sharing of alternatives may contribute to transformation and justice. We find that considering these design choices and strategically navigating the tensions inherent to them is vital for enhancing the potential role that atlases of alternatives can play in imagining and making more just and sustainable worlds.