Doughnut in local governments: a global overview
Research studying the practical application of Doughnut Economics in 50 local governments
"Doughnut Economics in Local Government: An Overview of Emerging Practice", a newly published peer-reviewed article (Oct 2025), co-authored by Leonora Grcheva and Michele Vianello, with the support of the Doughnut Economics Action Lab, provides a first overview of policy approaches informed by Doughnut Economics (DE) in 50 local governments worldwide that have worked with it in their own processes, strategies, and plans.
Since the first cities (Amsterdam, Portland and Philadelphia) experimented with Doughnut Economics in 2019, over 50 local and regional governments from all over the world have brought the Doughnut into their own plans, strategies in policies. We at DEAL have supported this emerging community of practice through the Cities & Regions theme, and over the course of four years have met with over 100 local and regional governments that were either already working with Doughnut Economics in some ways, or exploring the possibility. Our Cities & Regions: Let's Get Started guide, aimed to offer a first comprehensive resource mapping the many different ways in which local governments turn DE into practice.
However, to date, there had been no research study providing a comprehensive overview of this global emerging practice, that synthesises what is the state of DE practice in local governments and what are some insights from these early adopters. This research article aims to fill that gap.
The study used a mixed-methods approach, analysing 30 responses to a survey distributed to those leading the DE work in local governments, as well as 91 policy documents and other grey literature sources.
The full article is available here, and you can see few insights through images below.
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Duc Chu
Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland
Working towards sustainable transitions and democratic economy. Outreach member of a student-led cafe co-op at Aalto University, Finland. Would love to have a chat and discuss collaborations :)
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Claire Galiber d'Auque
Climate Fresk facilitator, I would like to deeper knowledge and practical use of Donut economy into French community.
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Hana Lee
Seattle, Washington, United States
I'm a UX/product designer, researcher with a passion to build sustainable, regenerative future.
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Diane Randell
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Rodrigo Pontón
Mexico City
From consumerism mercenary to change catalyst. After a decade building marketing strategies that maximized profits, I had an uncomfortable but necessary revelation: my skills were serving the wrong system. My transformation began when I saw myself for what I really was: a "consumerism mercenary." But I also discovered something powerful; the same tools I used to drive consumption could become amplifiers of systemic solutions. Why this transition mattersMillions of professionals are experiencing the same "awakening" I went through. We need bridges between the commercial world and social sector—translators who help scale innovations that truly matter. My north star: That my work generates community autonomy, not product dependency. What I bring to the social innovation ecosystem• Applied systems thinking: Translating complex ideas into narratives that mobilize communities • Regenerative strategic sommunication: 12+ years helping organizations articulate their transformative purpose • Collaborative leadership: Developing team autonomy, not hierarchical dependency • Transition facilitation: Expert at navigating undefined spaces and innovating without clear roadmaps. Does this transition resonate with you? Would you lead social innovation projects together? 📧 Let's connect: t.link/rodrigoponton [Communication + Strategy + Systems thinking]
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