Grassroots Innovations and Projectification: Diffusion Processes of the European Ecovillage Movement

2025

The research is based on in-depth fieldwork trips to three European ecovillages, resulting in 16 semi-structured interviews with ecovillage members and members of the European ecovillage net- work. Our findings indicate that while projects enable certain embedding processes, they also introduce tensions that could limit the long-term sustainability of these initiatives. This study underscores the need for a balanced approach to projectification, ensuring that it supports rather than undermines grassroots innovation’s objectives.