Explore the Eight Principles of a Regenerative Economy

The regenerative model is based on the idea that humans, as the dominant force on the planet, learn to be more like the non-human nature systems, learning from the wisdom of life and applying these ideas to the practices of cultural change. A critical principle of life is there is no such thing as waste in nature; everything is broken down and cycl... See more

8. How can principles learned from living systems inform our approach to solving contemporary societal crises, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and lack of sustainability?

Two aspects are central to our move from dominion to stewardship :

1. We must pay close attention to the rates of change in our social-ecological system.

2. We must shift... See more

Regenerative structures that start with looking after our own local shared needs are based a lot off of Ostrom’s eight principles:

Every part of a system is in a harmonious relationship with the entire system. When this principle of natural ecology is applied to human society, we see it as competition and cooperation in balance and an equitable distribution of wealth and power.

Regenerative design seeks to not merely do less harm when designing, but rather to put design to work as a positive force that restores, renews or revitalises. A concept that’s inherent in nature, regeneration should be the approach for how we interact with the planet.

It is time for designers to set our sights beyond sustainability and consider regeneration. Sustainability is an important concept in a time of widespread environmental destruction. It has made us aware that our planet’s resources are finite, and helped us envisage practices to sustain our current resources. But on its own it does not fix what is b... See more

Involves six principles to encompass nature and non-human beings; zoom in and out across time, scale and self; and embrace circularity, existing assets and re-use, rather than an emphasis on new.