Regenerative Built Environments Are Specific to Their Place

Every place is unique, yet current development practices are increasing the homogenisation of our cities and neighbourhoods. Regenerative built environments seek to reverse this trend by drawing inspiration from and working in deep relationship with the distinctive and defining qualities of a place. This requires taking the time to understand the cultural, social, ecological and historical dimensions of a place, and using this to discover how a project can foster strong connections between people, their communities and the living systems that sustain them. This chapter introduces three key strategies that enable the delivery of regenerative built environments that emerge from and contribute to the unique potential of their place. The first strategy provides guidance to understand the complex living systems of a place and the role of emerging technologies and processes in deepening this understanding. The second strategy explores how the story of a place is communicated to others and the potential to centre indigenous knowledge and wisdom in this story. The third strategy relates to circularity through reusing existing buildings and materials to increase place-sourced potential. Innovations and pioneering projects from around the world are presented throughout this chapter to support the practical applicability of these strategies.