Podcast & book: Flourish Design Paradigms for Our Planetary Emergency

You know those great moments where you sign up for a talk with an intriguing title, show up not entirely sure what to expect, and leave inspired anew? That happened to me recently at a talk by British Architect Michael Pawlyn on Biomimicry & Regenerative Design, which is part of the Regenerate series of science talks at BLOXHUB. Michael shared his thoughts on the regenerative design paradigm and how the principles can be turned into new practices for the built environment. Cross-disciplinary teams, a deep study of ecosystems and their flows, combined with knowledge of nature’s ingenuity, are just a few of the key takeaways from how Michael works with regenerative design practices.

His talk led me to discover the recently released book and new podcast series Flourish Systems Change by Sarah Ichioka and Michael Pawlyn himself. Here they deep dive into why moving from a sustainable mindset to a regenerative impact is crucial and how to build capacity for change through design.

In the podcast, Sarah and Michael invite an inspiring and diverse range of professions to expand the conversation, from economists, designers, and philosophers to activists. Each episode with a new guest offering their ideas, thoughts, and potential solutions to the challenges we are currently facing.

The book under the same title offers a thorough exploration and response to the question: How can we build a thriving regenerative future society together? A future where we think of the system as a whole co-evolved as nature, with a net positive impact.
Drawing inspiration from cultural and natural wisdom, Flourish proposes a new set of guiding regenerative design principles for anyone seeking ways to shape a better future. 

Learn more about Flourish here and here. 

Conference: The Nordic Circular Summit 2022

A great way to get your boost of the newest circular knowledge and insights this autumn is by exploring The Nordic Circular Summit 2022 this year hosted in Stockholm, Sweden.

This three-day digital summit takes place on November 22-24 and is co-hosted by Nordic Circular Hotspot and Nordic Innovation. DDC is a proud managing partner, and I’m excited about the new circular opportunities and potentials spotted in the Nordic countries. Throughout the three days, participants will explore topics like circular cities, business and finance, food, energy, manufacturing, and much more.

I’m particularly looking forward to listening in on the session Resilient Local Societies – Sustainable Place Economy on November 22 and The Future Regenerative Market on November 24, posing the question: Are we ready to build the next generation economy with circular principles? I hope we are, and I’m eager to hear new perspectives on the subject in this talk.

Check out the program and register here.

Book: Ecotopia – a novel

A book I would recommend for anyone working within cities, circularity, or foresight looking for a fictional yet highly relevant read is the novel Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach. As a response to the environmental concerns experienced – much similar to what we see today – a small part of the American people and land separates and isolates themselves from the rest of the country and civil society. They form Ecotopia, a “stable-state” ecosystem – the perfect balance between human beings and the environment.

Twenty years after the secession, Ecotopia allows their first visitor access – an American reporter. The novel curiously explores through the reporter’s articles and journals how such a future society would function, govern, behave and live its lives with solid ties to indigenous wisdom and what we today know as regenerative thinking. 

I was taken aback realizing that Ecotopia was published in 1975, with its incredibly timely and almost prophetic descriptions and glimpse into how a future society could be and function if we chose a more ecologically sound path.

Learn more about the book here.

Book: How Network Governance Powers the Circular Economy

This read by Jacqueline Cramer has greatly inspired my work this year. She primarily draws on her insights and experience gained throughout her circular initiatives in the Netherlands, shared in a well-argued clear, accessible manner. The book is divided into three parts, each with its own theme. Part I is the foundation and argumentation for a circular economy. Part II is three case studies based on Cramer’s work throughout the years with network governance exemplifying how circular transition has happened.

Part III is where it truly gets insightful; she presents the 10 guiding principles for building initiatives based on network governance. The principles are supported with actionable steps and helpful illustrations to outline how to implement circular initiatives.

Learn more about the book here.