ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the use the Human Scale Development (HSD) methodology, and has increased the reference to HSD by proponents of alternative approaches to sustainable development (SD) that highlights the impossibility of achieving sustainability with the current understanding of SD based on economic growth. It contextualises the HSD proposal within the SD debate and introduces its main tenets and methodological underpinnings. The book presents different applications of the HSD framework illustrated with examples of researches in Lleida (Catalonia) and Acostambo (Peru), the experiences of researchers studying sustainability in Belgium, and those of a practitioner engaged in the Transition movement. Both topics are illustrated by drawing on the specific applications of the methodology discussed in Part II and also on the findings of exploratory workshops carried out in Oslo (Norway) to explore the relationship between participating in HSD workshops and people's goals and values.
