About Socratus
Socratus is a studio for thinking through and solving wicked problems’. We bring together the right people in carefully designed spaces and prototype tools to surface the collective wisdom that’s already among us.
Context
The climate crisis is worsening. Temperatures are rising, resources are under stress, and extreme weather is disrupting lives everywhere. We know the data. We’ve heard the warnings. Yet, knowledge alone hasn’t been enough to shift how we live.
That’s because our daily surroundings quietly encourage us to repeat the same habits. Unsustainable choices remain today’s defaults. To change this, sustainability needs to feel normal, close at hand, and built into everyday life.
That’s what the Proximity Project is about.
Our Approach
We are clustering multiple initiatives- learning, livelihoods, and community projects within the same neighborhoods. This way, sustainable practices reinforce one another and become the new normal. The focus is on shifting from isolated programs to nurturing long-term, place-based change.
Three principles guide our work:
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Proximity: embed sustainable choices in people’s immediate environments.
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Persistence: stay engaged for at least five years to make change stick.
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Public Purpose: nurture values that go beyond self-interest, strengthening community responsibility.
What We’re Building
Local Experience Centres: Neighborhood hubs where people can directly experience sustainability through rotating exhibits, workshops, and interactive activities on themes like rivers, waste, textiles, and heritage.
Livelihoods & Green Jobs: Practical pathways for young people and entrepreneurs to build careers in the green economy through fellowships, training, mobile upcycling, and shared tools.
Community Sustainability Projects: Hands-on neighborhood initiatives—such as waste and water assessments, repair days, and placemaking—that make sustainable living part of everyday life.
We’ll be sharing stories, progress, and reflections on Grove as we go.
Follow along with us as the Proximity Project takes shape, one neighborhood at a time.