My name is Davide Brocchi. I am an independent social scientist researching societal transformations in theory and practice, with a particular focus on social and cultural sustainability. My work explores how systemic resilience can be strengthened in times of polycrisis and how a good life is possible without coming at the expense of others, including future generations and nature.
Analysis, practical experience, and public communication are closely intertwined in my work. Alongside my activities as a researcher, author, and lecturer, I co-design and facilitate change processes in social and cultural institutions, initiatives, and organisations, as well as in cities and regions.
I was born in 1969 in Rimini, Italy, and grew up in a rural community between the Adriatic coast and the Apennine Mountains. My socialisation during my youth was shaped by Italy’s socio-cultural network (ARCI) and the environmental and peace movements. In 1992, I moved to Germany, and since 2007 I have been living in Cologne. After studying philosophy (including under Umberto Eco), sociology and psychology at the Universities of Bologna and Düsseldorf, I completed a doctorate at the Institute for Cultural Policy at the University of Hildesheim. In recent years, I have also completed professional trainings in Systemic Supervision at the INeKO Institute of the University of Cologne and in Change Management at the ibo Akademie in Wettenberg.
My biography brings together questions of the (re-)rooting of ways of life and places with the intellectual mobility of the migrant. For me, sustainability also means preservation. It is not only about innovation but also about exnovation. Anyone seeking a solution must first be able to detach themselves from the problem.
In the spirit of sustainable transformation emerging from the local level, I have for many years initiated, developed and supported participatory living labs and spaces for experimentation with alternatives in neighbourhoods, municipalities and regions. These initiatives are made possible by diverse alliances and innovative partnerships, including citizen–public partnerships between citizens and institutions.
Even on the streets, it is possible to learn how peaceful coexistence in diversity can succeed on a finite planet. The annual »Day of the Good Life« (Tag des guten Lebens) in Cologne, in Berlin and in Wuppertal has demonstrated this. In recognition of this idea, I received the »Dialog Kölner Klimawandel« Award in 2011. In 2017, the Cologne initiative received the Fisrt »German Neighbourhood Prize« (Deutscher Nachbarschaftspreis) awarded by the nebenan.de Foundation.
How can a finite creature such as the human being cope with complexity without reducing it to monocultures? How can the culture in which we ourselves were socialised be changed? Questions such as these lie at the heart of my research on societal transformation. I advocate a systemic and critical approach, focusing on spatial development and ownership relations, power and inequality, democracy and participation, as well as education, media and cultural diversity. Such issues are reflected, for example, in my book »By Disaster or by Co-Design? Sustainability Transformation as Social and Cultural Challenge« (2026).
Practice offers some of the most valuable opportunities for learning how sustainable transformation can succeed. Through the scientific monitoring and evaluation of processes and projects, I seek to document, reflect upon and share new experiences, insights and lessons. This work has informed publications such as »Urban Transformation« (2017) and »Great Transformation within the Neighbourhood« (2019). Selected books, studies, articles and essays can be consulted and downloaded via this website.
As climate change is not just a climate-related problem, social inequality is not only a problem of poor people. This essay explains why a structural social inequality, also in the distribution of power, is one of the main causes of the current polycrisis and inhibits a transformation of our society towards sustainability.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in recognition of her commitment to peace and international law. A good decision.
I will be offering a seminar on this topic at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences during the winter semester 2026/27. Below is the course description.
Impulse für eine nachhaltige Transformation als soziale und kulturelle Aufgabe. Bei Fragen oder Interesse an einer Zusammenarbeit nehmt bitte Kontakt auf. Ich freue mich darauf!
Copyright © 2026 Dr. Davide Brocchi
