When Research Drives Action: Insights and Presentations from the CRISES x TEC Morning Session Are Now Available

February 6, 2026

On January 19, 2026, more than 100 participants gathered at the Cité des Hospitalières for a morning of discussions co-organized by Transition en commun (TEC) and the Center for Research on Social Innovations (CRISES) on the challenges of democracy, the commons, and socio-ecological transition. Together, the attendees explored two fundamental questions: How can research strengthen local action, and—conversely—how do grassroots practices enrich academic knowledge?

After a brief, convivial lunch break, the morning alternated between research presentations, feedback from TEC, and discussions with the audience, fostering direct dialogue between research and practice. Among the studies presented were:

Toward an Ecosystem of the Commons? Intermediary Actors and Public-Commons Partnerships in Barcelona , by Dan Furukawa Marques (Laval University, CRISES) and Jonathan Durand Folco (Saint-Paul University, CRISES)
Narrative Projects in TEC: Experiences and Challenges for Collaborative Action, by Sophie Van Neste (INRS, Canada Research Chair in Urban Climate Action, CRISES)
Co-governance Mechanisms and Municipal Policies, by Anaïs Del Bono (HEC Montréal) and Marguerite Mendell (Concordia University, CRISES)
Examining the “Transition in Common” Trajectory: Pivotal Moments and Developmental Assessment, with Chantale Mailhot (HEC Montréal, CRISES), Valérie Michaud (UQÀM, CRISES), and Mélanie Guillotte (UQÀM, CRISES)

On behalf of Transition en commun, Nadim Tadjine, Simon Thibodeau, and François-Xavier Michaux responded to the presentations, drawing parallels between the research findings and their own lived and observed experiences as members of the alliance’s coordinating team. Their remarks helped ground the analyses in the concrete realities of TEC: working within the alliance, democratic tensions, ongoing learning, and challenges related to implementing the transition on a Montreal-wide scale.

Ultimately, this morning’s session provided a concrete illustration of how research can shed light on the democratic and practical challenges of the transition, by equipping collective action and informing strategic choices for TEC’s next steps. The discussions also underscored the importance of paying attention to the diversity of voices, ensuring that participatory mechanisms are truly accessible, and viewing evaluation as a collective learning process—all of which are central to a just and sustainable transition.

👉 To view the presentations and learn more about everything that came out of the event, visit the Praxis blog