Regenerative development explores a vast world that exists beyond LEED® checklists and the standard techniques of green building and community planning.
This stands in stark contrast to our traditional ways of working, which generally follow a “shoot first, ask questions later” process that runs into all kinds of problems down the road.
For example, it’s usually only after the bulk of conceptual design work is done that we take the time to consider its repercussions by compiling long and costly Environmental Impact Assessments to record the negative effects a project will have. Socially, we also commonly find ourselves working incredibly hard to get “buy-in” from review agencies and community members who often oppose projects because they do not understand (and likely were not involved in) the decisions that have been made along the way.
These costly, ineffective and frustrating symptoms point to problems with our “shoot first” development habits. We must change them if we are to reach sustainability.
Regenerative development addresses these issues and offers a far better way of working on a project or community plan for two main reasons.
First, we utilize an integrated and front-loaded project structure – one that can be summed up as “question first so that we don’t have to shoot each other.” Providing team members the time, structure and space they need to in order to work freely together can eliminate many of the delays, frustrations and inefficiencies that so commonly occur downstream. Also, involving community members in dialogue early in the project process is the first step to overcoming NIMBY tendencies and to harnessing new support and energy for improving the community as a whole.
Second, regenerative development begins with the assumption that our work can, and must, be healing. It is a practice that provides us with a way to give new life and energy to a given place. It affords us the chance to play an active and positive role in the ongoing evolution of the ecological, social and economic systems that support us.
We can, and must, do better than aiming to simply minimize the negative impacts of development. The only way to achieve true sustainability and improve our quality of life is to develop deep relationships with the people and places of home.
Regenerative development helps us do just that.
STACK works closely with our collaborators at the Regenesis Group and 7Group on this work.
Click here to access articles on regenerative development from the Regenesis Group.
Click here to learn more about the Integrative Design process.
