This October, communities in more than 45 cities across 24 countries came together for Global Donut Days, a week-long, hybrid celebration of Doughnut Economics. Through festivals, workshops, and conversations, people from around the world gathered in solidarity around a shared belief: imagining a future where humanity thrives within the planetary boundaries while ensuring well-being for all.
In Chicago, the Chicagoland Donut Economics Coalition (ChiDEC) joined this global celebration at Reuse-a-Palooza, an event hosted by The Plant that champions circularity and creative reuse.
ChiDEC’s mission is to create a data portrait of Chicago through the lens of the Donut framework, a visual tool that shows where Chicago is thriving, where we are overshooting planetary boundaries, and where we are falling short of ensuring social well-being for all.
At Reuse-a-Palooza, we took a new approach to our mission that complemented our usual research. Instead of looking at the city only through data from institutions and agencies, we invited the community to share their voices, stories, and perspectives to shape a bottom-up picture of the city’s well-being.
At our booth, participants played the “3D Donut Game,” an interactive activity that invited participants to place either a red, green, or white pin (sprinkles) on a large three-dimensional doughnut.
Each sprinkle sparked impactful reflection and dialogue.
Image of our 3D donut at the end of the event with all the sprinkles.
“The Donut makes you think,” one participant told us, as others gathered around to share their stories and hopes for the city. For example, some participants noted improvements in Chicago’s air quality, while others shared concerns about certain neighborhoods that are still disproportionately impacted by pollution, such as in and around the Austin neighborhood.
A large number of red pins clustered within the housing quadrant of the social floor, reflecting widespread concern about access to affordable housing in Chicago. Affordable housing remains a pressing challenge for both renters and policymakers, driven by an imbalance between the limited supply of lower-cost units and the growing demand amid rising rents.
Participants highlighted positive examples of land conversion like Big Marsh Park on Chicago’s Southeast Side, which was transformed from an industrial dumping ground into a thriving nature park. They also noted growing momentum in conservation efforts, recycling, and composting across the city, though many agreed more actions need to be taken to meet the scale of environmental challenges to stay within the planetary boundaries while meeting social foundations.
The insights gained from the 3D Donut activity will help shape our digital Donut report and beyond. This event and activity was just the beginning! To follow our progress and get involved, check out our website and join our Linkedin page.
