Solarpunk Design Characteristics

Characteristics

The Alternative:

"The second essay (by Hanzi Freinacht) lays out what political (and even policy) appeals a solarpunk movement might make, to the populations of a city, region or country, that might lure them away from an eco-techno-authoritarianism. There are four initial design criteria:

It has to be about Transcendent Design - big, heroic, visionary structural and infrastructural projects. Not always valorising small is beautiful

And about Grand Design - municipal ambition for parks and public spaces

Inclusive Design - which recognises “a living mycelium of communities, of real people with real roots and relationships. Without activating and establishing solarpunk movements and transitions to sustainability in these basic communities, and simultaneously stimulating these for greater social coherence and mutual trust, solarpunk cannot truly function. It loses its soul”

Solarpunks need to be commons designers “sharing in open source knowledge, direct action for reclaiming and redesigning spaces, while engaging not only middleclass citizens, but also a wide variety of movements.”

(https://www.thealternative.org.uk/dailyalternative/2022/7/18/solarpunking-a-society)