Applying Systems Level Biomimicry
for Thriving Human Settlements and Bioregions
Workshop Information
This one-day workshop focuses on practical, systems-level applications of biomimicry - designing urban environments and bioregional systems inspired by nature’s most effective strategies. Through hands-on exercises, systems-thinking tools, and real-world case studies we’ll explore how biomimicry principles can be applied at scale to reconcile human systems with ecological health, ensuring you leave empowered to design regenerative solutions with immediate impact.
Guided by the framework of Life’s Principles and applying an Ecosystems Services Analysis approach, you'll explore how systems-level biomimicry empowers us to see the world through a regenerative lens. This creates solutions that balance human well-being, community development and ecological resilience. This approach unlocks breakthroughs for tackling complex systems-level challenges like climate resilience, water management, sustainable food systems, circular economies, and biodiversity restoration.
The Workshop Includes
- Insights into ‘Life’s Principles’ - nature’s blueprint for resilience and regeneration.
- Mapping exercises to apply biomimicry to urban and regional challenges.
- Group activities to design a "living city" or thriving bioregional system.
- Case studies showcasing solutions like sponge cities, donut economics, regenerative agriculture, community-led energy and more.
- Visioning activities and ‘care-holder’ engagement techniques to inspire diverse audiences into action, and uncover new, practical strategies for creating thriving futures together.
Who is it for?
This workshop is ideal for anyone grappling with creating resilient systems that benefit local communities, whilst working with nature rather than against it. Ideal for community organisers, local councils, urban planners, architects, environmental professionals, researchers, policymakers, and changemakers. This workshop is designed for those working at the intersections of resilience, adaptation, human systems, community building, biodiversity and ecological regeneration. Whether you're reimagining towns, cities, watersheds, or bioregions, you’ll leave with powerful tools and strategies to spark meaningful change.
How Can Biomimicry Change the World?
In today’s world of climate change, ecological breakdown and rapid urbanisation, it’s critical for human systems to radically redesign and move into beneficial and healthy relationships within their wider living ecosystems. Biomimicry offers hopeful, practical pathways, tried and tested by nature, to weather these crises, adapt and thrive. By learning from natural systems' 3.8 billion years of problem-solving expertise we can,
- Redefine cities and regions as living systems, fostering solutions for water management, energy, transport, biodiversity, carbon capture, climate resilience, and food systems.
- Cultivate a mindset of regenerative design that works with nature rather than against it, unlocking long-term health and mutual benefit for human communities and natural systems.
- Offer actionable frameworks that evolve thinking and practice at systems scales, empowering organizations and governments to create measurable change within the next decade.
- Inspire hope and possibility: Bridge imagination and practicality to create new solutions.
- Solve challenges effectively: Biomimicry principles apply across all scales, from local community projects to regional collaborations.
- Catalyse innovation: Reframe so-called "problems" as design opportunities, just as nature does.
- This workshop doesn’t just offer inspiration and new hope; it provides tangible tools and design approaches for addressing some of humanity's most significant challenges.
Key Tools and Frameworks We'll Use:
- Biomimicry’s Life’s Principles Design Lens: A deep dive into the core strategies that allow living systems to thrive and how to apply them at systemic levels.
- Systems Thinking and Bioregional Approaches: Drawn from thought leaders like Carol Sanford - ‘The Regenerative Life’, Fritjof Capra - ‘The Systems View of Life’, Daniel Wahl - ‘Designing Regenerative Cultures and Joe Brewer -’The Design Pathway for Regeneration’
- Visioning Techniques Inspired by Thrutopias and Solarpunk: Exploring what ecological and socially-just urban and bioregional futures could look like, and where tech is only used in life affirming ways.
- Real-World Case Studies: Practical models like sponge cities, Havana’s urban agriculture systems, Curitiba’s transit solutions, and donut economics cities showcase what’s possible.
- Co-Design Methodologies: Hands-on activities to bring participants into collaborative solution-building using place-based, participatory practices.
Outline of key activities:
Participants will work through tailored design challenges such as reimagining a city to function more like a forest—examining how forests manage water, energy, food, and shelter in ways that are resilient and regenerative.
- Nature Walk and Observation Activity: Exploring how ecosystems support life and function sustainably in comparison to urban settings (e.g., water storage, biodiversity, habitat creation, nutrient flow).
- Visioning Activity: Imagine and design what a “living city” would look and feel like—from housing, food and transport and waste systems and energy.
- Social Ecology: Connect ecological principles to social systems, understanding how to bring diverse groups together to work cooperatively with each other and their wider living systems.
- Project Co-Creation: Generate actionable pathways for applying systemic biomimicry in local or regional contexts.
Details
- Duration: 1 full day (6–7 hours with breaks).
- Format: In-person or hybrid workshop with interactive activities and tools.
- Price: From £75 per person - please enquire for full details, group rates, and income-based sliding scale
- Booking: This workshop is available for groups in the UK and Europe on request. Please complete the contact form below or book a 30 minute call for an initial discussion.
What past participants say
“Hopeful and practical at the same time. Helps me keep my head above the
despair and see ways forward”
“I wish urban planners could have a session like this. Really helps to have a set of principles and practices that can be applied in different places”.
“I loved the combination of concepts, creativity/imagination and practical/design skills. The case studies are very helpful”.
“Magical and exciting to design. “It’s hard to believe it - but our design felt possible!”
“Amazing how each group so different and so many ideas in short space of time”
CONTACT ME
For any questions, or to express interest in a workshop or course, drop me a message using the contact form.
CHAT WITH ME
If you'd like a free 30 minute chat to explore how we might work together, or to find out more about any of the offerings mentioned on this site. Book a time here