Climate change will drastically alter not only the physical but the demographic compositions of cities all around the world. With mass migrations and climate refugee movements, countries like Switzerland would need to expand their socio-ecological imaginaries to include increasingly diverse and ever-changing populations. We take Lausanne as our case study in our search for a true socio-ecological transition in the Global North. On one hand, the city is undergoing major infrastructural transformations as it works towards net-zero carbon goals in 2050. On the other, the increase in immigrants and the ageing Swiss population give rise to new dynamics, new requirements as well as new potentials for social infrastructure. As we work towards a new socio-ecological future for Lausanne, we must also consider who are the people being left behind, who are the people benefiting from it, and how we may reconcile the two.

This research is part of a larger goal to redefine a territory based on its soft infrastructure, rather than the imposing forces of highways, railways, and other heavy infrastructure. With tools like GIS mapping, empirical and historical  research, we aim to uncover and highlight the elements of water, greenery, air, and people as the key infrastructure that pave the way towards a more sustainable socio-ecological assemblage in the Global North.