Regenerative Built Environments Enable Co-evolution and Transformation

Regenerative built environments are not solely defined by their physical outcomes but also by the positive transformations they enable within individuals, communities and organisations. This chapter emphasises that the external processes of regenerative built environments are matched and enabled by the evolution of internal capabilities and worldviews. It presents three key strategies to illustrate how built environment projects can act as catalysts for the internal regeneration of the people and communities who envision, build and inhabit them. The first strategy demonstrates how a key positive outcome of regenerative built environments is the outward flows of knowledge, inspiration, influence and empowerment, especially when targeted towards the next generation. The second strategy highlights the critical role of empowering local communities to become stewards of the project and its place. It demonstrates the potential of empowering and enabling vulnerable communities to reach their potential through the medium of the built environment. The third strategy relates to the ongoing inner work of practitioners to constantly evolve their understanding of living systems and ensure their decisions and actions remain aligned with this. Leading projects and valuable insights from regenerative practitioners are used throughout this chapter to demonstrate the internal transformations of working regeneratively.