Contributions to Design for Transitions from Territorial Approaches in University Education in Uruguay

This article proposes a conceptual framework for rethinking Transition Design/Design for Sustainability Transitions from a relational and territorial perspective within university education in Uruguay. Amidst the global polycrisis, it argues that transitions must be territorially rooted midst local ecosystems and cultures to achieve meaningful systemic change. The authors present a conceptual corpus based on three pillars that make up a territorial approach: (i) Relational and Wise Webs, (ii) Dialogue of Knowledges and Integrality, and (iii) Territory and Discourses. These pillars are exemplified through two case studies from Uruguay—the La Paloma recycling cooperative and the "Fishing Transformations" project—demonstrating how participatory methodologies and diálogo de saberes foster collective agency and transformative social innovation in ways that resonate with and amplify distinct territories. By integrating university functions, the work highlights the designer’s role as a facilitator of "relational infrastructures," advocating for situated and wiser design practices that decolonize transitions in Latin America.