Sustainability challenges are complex and intertwined with environmental, social, economic, cultural and historical factors. There is a need to enhance systemic understanding and mobilise all levels of society to develop new cooperation locally. Various civil society actors – associations, social entrepreneurs, cooperatives, communities and individuals are sources of social innovations that enhance sustainability. However, their voice and ideas are often poorly heard in decision-making.

We make transition! project (2023-2025) engaged a number of regional and local authorities, civil society actors and social entrepreneurs from the Baltic Sea Region. Project partners from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Germany and Norway cooperated with altogether 12 cities and municipalities in implementing ‘local transition arena workshop processes’. Transition arena is a series of workshops that include co-creation of a joint vision, pathways towards the vision, concrete actions and initiatives. WMT! arena topics were related to food, nature & biodiversity, social sustainability and circular economy. Each location defined their transition arena topic bottom-up based on the local cooperation needs.

The following transition arenas were organised: 1) Hämeenkyrö Agriculture Arena, 2) Helsinki-Uusimaa Circular Transition, 3) Sustainable Future in Kimitoön, 4) Uusikaupunki - Nature in my Neighbourhood, 5) Tartu Circular Economy Transition, 6) Organic Food Transition in Bremen Schools, 7) Organic Food Transition in Vidzeme region, 8) Trondheim Local Sustainable Food System, 9) Tampere Future Arena of Sustainable Life, 10) Sustainability Transition in Education, Lääne-Harju, 11) Gdynia Cross-sectoral Sustainability, 12) Namsos Circular Initiatives.

Transition arena processes strengthened the local sense of community, empowered local actors, and initiated jointly developed and agreed actions towards the desired future. WMT! transition arena results provided new perspectives and were integrated into regional/local strategies. 

As the main outcome, We make transition! project produced a manual for applying the transition arena method in a simple and practical way to enhance common ground and cooperation between local actors from different levels. The manual helps any actor to implement the key elements of transition arena process.  Other publications include the BSR Vision of Sustainable Life and inspiring case studies of civil society making sustainability transitions with 18 cases from six countries.