DEAL Cities & Regions gathering in Tomelilla 2025

The second annual gathering for local government practitioners was hosted by Tomelilla municipality in Sweden

Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) and Tomelilla Municipality (Sweden), that has been working with Doughnut Economics over the past four years, co-organised the second gathering for local and regional government practitioners working with Doughnut Economics in September 2025.

We tried this for the first time last year, in Bad Nauheim in Germany - and really saw the value in meeting in person and having two whole days with a growing community of practice, so we at DEAL were thrilled that Tomelilla, a small but ambitious municipality, volunteered to host this year's gathering.    

This year's topic, as suggested by the hosts, was "systems change through a local Doughnut Economics perspective", and a big part of it was focusing on nurturing imagination and our individual and collective capacity to imagine different futures. 

We had a two-day programme of workshops, presentations, games and conversations. These included:

  • understanding the basics of systems through embodied games led by Kate Raworth, 
  • learning from the DE-focused systems work of a small town (Tomelilla) and a bigger city (Glasgow),
  • deep-diving into Tomelilla's plans to build the world's first school based on Doughnut Economics principles,
  • trying out workshop tools from the Positive Tipping Points Toolkit, 
  • practicing our imaginations by workshopping possible Doughnut futures in 2060 through a futures wheel, and building local government "artefacts from the future" from junk items, 
  • practicing our imaginations by focusing on 'ordinary hope', led by a team of forecast researchers,
  •  exploring ideas for the future of education, built environment and citizen participation,
  • ....and of course, learning about each other's work, experiences and dreams. 


We were joined by friends working in or with local governments in Glasgow (Scotland), Ipoh (Malaysia), Copenhagen and Gentofte (Denmark), Grenoble and Valence Romans (France), Brussels (Belgium), Nanaimo, Calgary and North Saanich (Canada), Cocody (Côte d'Ivoire), Bad Nauheim (Germany), Peñalolén (Chile), Falköping, Malmö and Kalix (Sweden), Oxfordshire (England), Netherlands, Switzerland and France.

It's hard to describe this brilliant community of practice in few words, but hopefully the pictures will capture part of the atmosphere of the two days we spent together.

We will continue to host online peer-to-peer discussions and learning sessions for all local governments working with Doughnut Economics.  So, if you are interested to work with Doughnut Economics in your local government and to join this community of practice, do check out our dedicated thematic page, our guide Cities & Regions: Let's Get Started,  and get in touch with DEAL through our contact form (selecting 'Cities & Regions'), and DEAL's Cities&Regions Lead Leonora will be in touch. 

Group photo in Skåne Tranås, where the event took place
Group photo in Skåne Tranås, where the event took place


People introducing themselves by sharing their 'personal tipping points' in life and work - the stories included great teachers, encounters with magnificent animals and plants, encounters with magnificent research or organisations....
People introducing themselves by sharing their 'personal tipping points' in life and work - the stories included great teachers, encounters with magnificent animals and plants, encounters with magnificent research or organisations....


Kate Raworth leads us through embodied demonstrations of how systems work
Kate Raworth leads us through embodied demonstrations of how systems work


Collective joy as a flock of migrating cranes flies above us
Collective joy as a flock of migrating cranes flies above us


Stefan Persson from Tomelilla sharing their work
Stefan Persson from Tomelilla sharing their work


Workshop: imagining Doughnut futures in 2060 with a futures wheel
Workshop: imagining Doughnut futures in 2060 with a futures wheel


Workshop sheet: imagining a "Doughnut City" was achieved in 2060, focusing on the theme of 'health', if the blue prompt in the middle is true - what would be the direct and indirect impacts?
Workshop sheet: imagining a "Doughnut City" was achieved in 2060, focusing on the theme of 'health', if the blue prompt in the middle is true - what would be the direct and indirect impacts?


Imagining and designing possible Doughnut futures workshop
Imagining and designing possible Doughnut futures workshop


"Building local government artefacts from the future" - that tell stories from the 2060 futures we imagined. Participants each chose one junk item and then they worked in teams to design, build and exhibit an artefact.
"Building local government artefacts from the future" - that tell stories from the 2060 futures we imagined. Participants each chose one junk item and then they worked in teams to design, build and exhibit an artefact.


Teams work together to design and build their artefacts
Teams work together to design and build their artefacts


Teams work together to design and build their artefacts
Teams work together to design and build their artefacts


Local government artefacts 'show and tell' - Petra Meier from Glasgow and Sanjiv Shrivastava from North Saanich share their teams work
Local government artefacts 'show and tell' - Petra Meier from Glasgow and Sanjiv Shrivastava from North Saanich share their teams work


Artefacts from the future 'show and tell' - Nathalie Le Meur from Grenoble presents the team's 'Habitat compass', joined by Leonora Grcheva from DEAL
Artefacts from the future 'show and tell' - Nathalie Le Meur from Grenoble presents the team's 'Habitat compass', joined by Leonora Grcheva from DEAL


Local government artefact from the future: "meat-o-meter"
Local government artefact from the future: "meat-o-meter"


Local government artefact from the future: "Arbre a' Palabres - the Tree Council"
Local government artefact from the future: "Arbre a' Palabres - the Tree Council"


Local government artefact from the future: "Fermenting for futures"
Local government artefact from the future: "Fermenting for futures"


Design after Progress research team leading a workshop that ended with teams designing Tomelilla 2027 posters focused on 'ordinary hope'
Design after Progress research team leading a workshop that ended with teams designing Tomelilla 2027 posters focused on 'ordinary hope'


Sharifah Husna Syed Zainal Yussof from Ipoh shares their teams 'ordinary hope' poster
Sharifah Husna Syed Zainal Yussof from Ipoh shares their teams 'ordinary hope' poster


Siobhan Mansel-Playdell presents the Positive Tipping Points framework - we all map where we see our work on the curve
Siobhan Mansel-Playdell presents the Positive Tipping Points framework - we all map where we see our work on the curve


Jenny Sjöblom helps us reflect on education today
Jenny Sjöblom helps us reflect on education today


Workshop walks
Workshop walks


Delicious Swedish sweets
Delicious Swedish sweets





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