A Reading List on Bioregional Design
This article is meant to serve as a living document where I will curate reading materials on bioregional design and add new links as I discover new content. It is done in preparation for a workshop on bioregional design that I plan to give later this spring.
I have started working on the creation of open courseware for the design of bioregions. The reasons for this can be found in my own articles on this topic:
- Why Must We Design Our Bioregions?
- Universities — Field Sites for Bioregions?
- We Are Regenerating An Entire Bioregion
- Regenerative Hubs in Costa Rica
- Weaving Networks of Regenerative Projects
My hope is that others will find this reading list useful as well. I have broadly categorized the collection according to author — for those who have written more extensively on this subject — with a “catch-all” grouping of individual articles thrown into the mix.
This reading list is not exhaustive. What it represents is my initial exploration of what is freely available online. There are numerous books on regional development, economic relocalization, ecosystem restoration, community resilience, and a host of other related topics. Consider this reading list as a starting point for the uninitiated. Or as a way to dip into new content for those on a path toward contributing to the regeneration of their own regional landscapes.
I found it useful to gather these materials. And I hope you find it useful as well.
Onward, fellow humans.
Resources from Daniel Wahl
These writings are from the author of Designing Regenerative Cultures (a book I highly recommend). Daniel is both a personal friend and a curriculum designer for Gaia Education. He has written extensively on bioregional design.
- Regional Developments as Third Wave of Eco-social Innovation
- Cosmopolitan Bioregionalism
- Bioregionalism
- Local, Bioregional and Global Outreach
- Biophilia, Bioregional Sensitivity, and Cosmopolitan Bioregionalism
- Living with a Sense of Place at the Appropriate Scale
- The IFF World System Model
- Scale-Linking Design for Systemic Health
- Organizing Bioregionally
Resources from John Thackara
These writings are from a social and ecological designer who has done active work on bioregional design with cities and regions around the world. His website can be found here.
- A Design Agenda for Bioregions
- Venice: From Gated Lagoon to Bioregion
- From Autobahn to Bioregion
- Back to the Land: A Design Agenda for Bioregions
- Bioregioning: Pathways to Urban-Rural Connection
Gaia Education Course
This organization has been offering online and immersion courses for more than a decade as part of the Global Ecovillage Network. They have a 10-month course on bioregional design that may become integrated into my own work in the future.
Other Authors
These are worthwhile articles and reports on the topic of bioregional development that provide useful tools and frameworks.
- Cultivating a Love of Place Inspired by Indigenous Wisdom
- Human Watershed: The Emerging Politics of Bioregional Democracy
- Tools for Integrated Landscape Management from EcoAgriculture Partners
- Defining Bioregions in these islands
- A New England Food Vision for Regional Sustainability
- Region-Wide Resilience in New England
- Resilience and Transformation: A Regional Approach by EcoTrust
- Resources from the Continental Bioregional Conference
- California’s Bioregions: A Bio-Geographic Overview
- The Bioregional Economy: A UK View
- Where Do You Draw the Boundaries of Home?
Joe Brewer is the executive director of the Center for Applied Cultural Evolution. Get involved by signing up for our newsletter and consider making a donation to support our work.
