UMONS Research Institute for Societal  and Territorial development

The SOCI&TER Institute intends to position itself mainly in the field of sustainable development by working on three main areas

Spatial planning

Given the ecological crisis, SOCI&TER seeks to develop new ways of questioning/transforming/developing territories that are respectful of the environment and living beings. The reflections carried out within the Institute concern, for example, the re-articulation of urban, rural and natural spaces, new ways of conceiving housing or the development of short circuits.

Social inclusion

Aware of the fragility of certain populations, SOCI&TER works on the development of a more inclusive society. This translates into reflections/actions on 1) the impact of socio-economic transformations of territories on populations (gentrification, segregation, social exclusion); 2) the development of governance tools favouring citizen participation and, consequently, social cohesion; 3) the implementation of research or collaborative projects involving the associative, public and private worlds.

The economy  

With the ambition of promoting the autonomy and balance of the territories studied, SOCI&TER approaches the company as one of the agents of social and political change by developing, in the fields of strategy, accounting, finance, human resources management, innovation, technology and marketing, new (micro-)practices likely to promote the creation and/or support of small and medium-sized enterprises.