Some of our long-term projects and collaborations.
DESIRE – Designing Irresistible Circular Cities
An EU New European Bauhaus Project
The action research and learning process has shown that the transition to a sustainable, inclusive an vibrant Europe hinges on the importance of whole system involvement, particularly citizen engagement.
Really Regenerative supported three key sites to generate experiments, collaborations and raise new citizen centres of energy to learn more about what creates real, lasting place-based transformation.
Working with the Royal Danish Architecture School and Knowledge Hub Zealand in the city of Kalundborg we designed and ran a series of talks and workshops to explore the story of separation in the city to activate dialogue on belonging, circular value flows, symbiotic relationships, future evolutionary potential and valuing nature.
We enabled the Kalundborg team to convene, develop and suppoort the emergence of a new citizen movement, The Phoenix Group, who are effectively working with the municipality and business environment to experiment with reconnection to nature, transforming the city culture and its architecture.
TEAM
Jenny Andersson
Dr. Al Mathers
Read our report:
RELATIONSHIP BEFORE TASK: Valuing relationality in EU research design.
Learn more about the DESIRE project at the DESIRE Digital Learning Hub.
JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATION
A global study into the enabling conditions for place-bsed community-led regeneration.
In 2024 we convened a global exploration within the place-based regenerative communities working on bioregional strategy, urban transformation, rural regeneration and systems evolution to understand the enabling conditions and capabilities that might accelerate place-based community-led regeneration to flourish, and that could be adapted and applied in a UK context. We sought to provide insights to key questions:-
What conditions and capacities enable communities to steward holistic, regenerative transformation of their places, at the level, longevity and depth required by the polycrisis?
How – as a philanthropic organisation – Joseph Rowntree Foundation can play the most catalytic role in accelerating regenerative place-based transformation across the UK?
What examples of regenerative community-led projects exist and what signals are they giving about the conditions of place-based work that focuses on all aspects of the polycrisis – economic, ecological and social/cultural?
How might JRF accelerate these conditions for regenerative place-based community work through existing mission-oriented grant programmes but also through the release of endowment funds?
TEAM
Jenny Andersson
Josie Warden
Maria Camilla Carrascal
Dr Dimity Podger, Regen Labs
The full report will be released in early 2025. Please contact jenny@reallyregenerative.org if you would like access to a preview copy of the report.
