Glocal participatory design: designerly approaches for trans-local climate change initiatives

This paper, not only, reflects on the crucial feature of global connectedness when it comes to addressing Climate Change in an effective way. It also reflects on the just as important feature of connectedness to future generations. Arguably these two features could be at odds with, or at least be a challenge for, the most typical and espoused features of Participatory Design (PD); i.e. its focus on present and local conditions. Underpinned by this tension, this paper discuss possible ways for PD-inspired designers to scale up its present local approaches to more glocal ones, that also takes future generations into account. As a mere example, the paper introduce an attempt to nurture public democratic discourses by back-casting future scenarios to present day. The paper is not conclusive but hope to nurture a creative debate about climate related issues being necessary in, and beyond, all strands of design.