Regenerative design
Aims for designs that not only do less harm but help restore and strengthen the social and natural systems of a place.
What problem it addresses
Reducing harm is not enough when ecosystems and communities are already degraded.
Principles
Of the place
Each solution starts from the conditions of its territory.
Living systems
Design with nature, not against it.
Learn as you go
In complex systems, you move forward by testing and adjusting.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Ask what improves in the place thanks to what you design.
Avoid
Using “regenerative” as a label for something that only reduces impact.
Don’t fall for it
Work with the local community: knowledge of the place belongs to them.
Connections
Authors and works
- 1994
John Tillman Lyle
Proposed regenerative systems that renew, through their own processes, the energy and materials they consume.
- 2016
Daniel Christian Wahl
Proposed designing regenerative cultures adapted to the conditions of each place.
Sources
Original sources
- Lyle, J. T. (1994). Regenerative design for sustainable development. John Wiley & Sons.
- Wahl, D. C. (2016). Designing regenerative cultures. Triarchy Press.
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