Transition Heriot Watt
Community makeup: This is a campus-based university on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Much of its community of staff and students are not based/living nearby and it has been difficult to instil a sense of community and shared interest.
Process: The main areas of study are business and engineering and there was little prior environmental action initiated by the student body, or in fact, much interest of taking a leading role in any. Most projects have therefore been staff initiated and maintained. With the Bike Hub project, a visual space was created that people could identify as being part of the Transition Initiative, and gave more engagement.
The Green and Blue Space
Community makeup: Also campus based but Stirling is a smaller city than Edinburgh. Many students live on campus.
Process: The initiative was started by enthusiastic staff members, but there was also wide student support through environmental societies and Student Union roles. However, such groups have wound down since the start of The Green and Blue Space, with all energy going into that initiative instead. Some projects have attracted the involvement of local Stirling residents, such as veg bags and a food cooperative, but there is no plan to get them actively involved at present.
All of the Transition Universities have experienced the important connection between having a physical space to meet and socialise, and obtaining engagement, a sense of community, and shared identity. The Green and Blue Space in Stirling, for example, only started seeing widespread engagement when they were sponsored with a space in a central location by the Student Union, which they have access to all the time and use for their office, meetings, hang-outs, and as a base for some projects. Don’t worry if you feel like there are few spaces where the different members of your university community naturally and spontaneously can come together and share a sense of belonging. Often such spaces are not designed into a university structure, but your Transition group can find a suitable space and establish a routine to help build the Transition community.
35