Chapter 02 of the book "Social Innovation Projects for Climate Neutral Cities" edited by Sabrina Bresciani (see full book here https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-87726-1_1 )

Integrating Social Innovation in Cities’ Portfolios of Action: Building Robust Ecosystems for (of) Collective Action and Social Impact

Kaisa Schmidt-Thome & Paul Mesarcik

Link to book chapter: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-87726-1_2#Abs1

This chapter emphasizes the need for cities to integrate social innovation into their innovation portfolios to effectively address the climate crisis. The chapter identifies Enablers, Mediators, and Visionaries as essential personas for cities to nurture SI effectively. Cities acting as Enablers express their support to social innovation by providing grants, and supporting grassroots initiatives. When doing so, they need to carefully evaluate criteria that may favor commercially viable innovations over other initiatives. If cities become Mediators, they focus on creating a broader ecosystem by mapping and connecting existing initiatives. Mediators would have to note that connecting as many dots as possible does not necessarily lead to shared interests. A Mediator city would thus have to provide more specificity, pointing to issues of common relevance while respecting the diversity of approaches. Visionaries take on an ambitious role of agenda setting and mission orientation, aligning diverse actors toward a common goal, such as climate neutrality. Drawing on the concept of innovation portfolios, Visionaries facilitate interconnected actions, emphasizing the importance of addressing societal challenges beyond technological solutions. While recognizing the challenges, the chapter encourages cities to transition toward a Visionary role, leveraging their existing capabilities as Enablers and Mediators. By embracing a holistic and integrated approach, cities can foster a collaborative innovation landscape, inclusive of social innovations, ultimately contributing to meaningful and sustainable solutions for climate change mitigation.

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