Ideas We Need for the Future: Doughnut Economics

​We've realized that we'd somewhat haphazardly been programming Local Economy with a track that we were internally calling "ideas we need for the future." This is the first event we're putting officially under that label.

​What would it look like for a city, a country, a world to truly thrive economically — without costing the planet?

​Doughnut Economics — developed by economist Kate Raworth — proposes an economic mindset that's fit for the 21st century. It's not a set of policies and institutions, but rather a way of thinking to bring about the regenerative and distributive dynamics that this century calls for. The starting point of Doughnut Economics is to change the goal from endless GDP growth to thriving in the “Doughnut” — the space between a social foundation ensuring that no one is left falling short on life’s essentials and an ecological ceiling ensuring that humanity does not destabilize Earth’s life-sustaining systems. If we are to meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet, we need to move beyond last century's economic thinking.

​Join us for an evening with the California Doughnut Economics Coalition (CalDEC) — a statewide network already advancing this framework through local initiatives in cities across California, including San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Petaluma. CalDEC will walk us through the basics of Doughnut Economics, share findings from their California Doughnut Snapshot Report, and help us explore what this framework could mean specifically for Oakland.

​This is more than an informational event — it's an invitation. We're looking to connect Oakland residents, organizers, practitioners, and curious neighbors who want to be part of shaping what a Doughnut Economics initiative for Oakland could look like. No prior knowledge required. All are welcome. Come ready to think big about the city we're building together.