Big problems are seldom solved by big solutions. More often than not, it is small actions and incremental changes that fuel radical shifts in how we live and work. In this issue, we take a look at how architecture, design and technology are disrupting the status quo through seemingly small-scale approaches to larger issues ranging from post-disaster construction and refugee integration to public space etiquette and ecological crises. Though the sheer scale of the challenges we face today is daunting, there will always be the potential for small interventions to affect widespread change.