ABSTRACT
Niches of socio-ecological transformation have gained attention in both scientific and public debates (Schellnhuber et al. 2011; Hargreaves et al. 2013). Innovative social experiments are perceived as lighthouses or pioneers of change, which could foster learning processes and might disseminate into the wider society (Moulaert et al. 2005; Haxeltine et al. 2013). Based on a case study we scrutinise the innovative and transformative potential and limits of such a pioneering social experiment, namely a new cohousing project in Vienna. We discuss in how far this kind of a niche experiment can be a space of learning and a laboratory of experimenting with more sustainable modes of living.
