Conference Buzz: William Reed, AIA and Regengerative Design
The current buzz word in development is sustainability, but William G. Reed of the Integrative Design Collaborative hopes to move beyond a practice that merely addresses generalized and planetary issues by limiting the intensity of the damage we cause. Instead, his focus is on the Regenerative Design Process: local in practice and addressing how we partner and thrive in relationships with the unique social-ecological system of each particular place.
Regeneration attempts to align the human aspirations of a project with the distinctive nature of the ecosystem in that place. It is a process that does not compromise but rather creates a dialogue around the whole system, that which is needed to support essential aspirations while engaging and healing the rivers, soil, air, and habitats that support life. This is a process that heals the healers by creating an opportunity to participate WITH and AS nature and not simply applying less damage TO nature. Bill's exploration of the core purpose of development work is the opening of a door to engage in understanding the complex relationships between the ecosystem and the built environment; thus enabling us to co-evolve with our environment.
We have to heal through development, otherwise this planet is a dead planet, he argues.
By first giving a brief history of regenesis, Bill constructs a new ethical framework for development. He then shifts from idealist to realist by explicating precisely how, by using development to actively engage the environment, it is possible to at once catalyze living systems while at the same time cutting costs. Using the example of the Baba Peninsula Development Project and others, Bill outlines how to implement his approach on the ground, the difficulties therein, and the potentially dramatic savings that can extend from a regenerative process.