Overview

A single regenerative building is a demonstration. A community of regenerative buildings is a civilization — or at least the beginning of one. The principles and systems explored in the previous chapters scale, and when they scale, their social and ecological benefits multiply in ways that are not possible at the individual building level.

Shared energy microgrids distribute generation and storage resources more efficiently than individual systems. Shared water infrastructure can serve more households from a given catchment area. Shared food production — a larger greenhouse complex, a productive food forest, an aquaponics facility — achieves economies of scale and specialization not possible in a single household. Shared governance allows the community to manage its common resources intelligently, resolve disputes, and evolve its norms over time.

Community design is also where the social dimensions of regenerative living become most important. Buildings can be designed and built by individuals; communities require relationships, agreements, and governance. The technical excellence of regenerative building systems means nothing if the community that lives in them cannot function as a social organism. Book 10 of this series, Community Design and Land Development, addresses both the technical and social dimensions of regenerative community design.