"Cities can be the places that were how we do our metabolism as a spieces."

Are you interested in ecological design? What do you think about bioregions in our planning? How can we avoid defuturing?

Interview with Dr Stuart Cowan, Executive Director at Buckminster Fuller Institute. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, futuring and protopia, Spaceship Earth, reciprocity, experimentation, and many more.

Dr. Stuart Cowan is the Executive Director of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, advancing design science for systems change. He leads initiatives like the BFI Design Lab, fostering innovation to address critical planetary challenges. With 25 years’ experience in regenerative design, finance, and systems, he co-founded Autopoiesis LLC, regenerating communities, ecosystems, and organizations. Stuart was the founding convener of the Regenerative Communities Network, supporting 15 bioregions, and has served as Chief Scientist at the Smart Cities Council. Co-author of Ecological Design, he earned a PhD in Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley, focusing on Complex Systems and Ecological Economics.

Find out more about Stuart through these links:

• Stuart Cowan on LinkedIn
• Stuart Cowan website
• Buckminster Fuller Institute website
• Buckminster Fuller Institute on LinkedIn
• Buckminster Fuller Institute on Youtube
• Ecological design - book by Stuart Cowan and Sim Van der Ryn
• Operating manual for a Spaceship Earth - book by Buckminster Fuller
• Children of a modest star - book by Jonathan S. Blake and Nils Gilman
• Design for the pluriverse - book by Arturo Escobar
• Designing from an abundance perspective - Stuart Cowan on the Ma Earth program

Connecting episodes you might be interested in:

• No.101R - What we owe the future? (book summary)
• No.186 - Interview with Tom Bosschaert about Orchid City
• No.220 - Interview with Simon Burt about the importance of bees
• No.309R - Ecological urban planning and design

What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sho⁠w⁠notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are also available.

I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.

Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠