How to envision a sustainable society

In this activity, you’ll practice designing your own sustainable society.

As climate change threatens our future, we have an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine a just, prosperous, and regenerative society.

The first step is realizing what’s possible and engaging our creative potential.

This activity was created out of interviews with over 200 changemakers who are actively building a regenerative future. You can find in-depth insights from their stories in the book: Bright Green Future.

Design mission

Reimagine an environmental or social issue in your community as the foundation for an initiative to regenerate people and planet.

Background

You possess powerful knowledge of the struggles and strengths in your own community. You’ll use this wisdom to envision a sustainable future.

Here’s how the activity works:

  1. Start by asking guiding questions

  2. Explore key sustainable design principles

  3. Create a sketch of your design

Your design doesn’t have to be perfect or even necessarily realistic. The goal is to experience the power of your own creativity, start conversations, and seek out projects already in your community!

Inspiration from a project to revitalize coal country:

1. Ask guiding questions

2. Explore design principles

  • Systems thinking

    Find the deeper patterns hiding in plain sight.

    Problems intersect and overlap.

    Top-down and bottom-up actions affect each other.

    One solution can address multiple issues at the same time.

  • Community thinking

    Embrace local people as beneficiaries of change.

    Local economy serves interests of community.

    Solutions are adapted to local needs, visions, and values.

    Local people are leaders of change.

  • Regenerative thinking

    Create systems and communities that grow stronger and healthier over time.

    Land fertility and ecological diversity regenerate each season.

    Material resources are designed to replenish themselves.

    Local economies become resilient during crises.

3. Sketch your regenerative design

  1. Acquire pen and paper.

  2. Review what you wrote for the challenges, strengths, and energizers in your community.

  3. Brainstorm an initiative, organization, business, or idea that addresses one or more of those challenges and draws upon your community’s strengths.

  4. Sketch your idea using rough illustrations and descriptions.

  5. Keep elaborating and expanding your design

    • Think about how your idea might address multiple challenges at the same time.

    • Consider how your design might regenerate local ecologies and economies.

    • Incorporate existing organizations in your community as potential partners.

Example of design sketch

Real-world examples

  • Thunder Valley CDC: Indigenous blueprint for a just and sustainable society.

  • Coalfield Development: Laid-off coal miners revitalizing an economy once dependent on fossil fuels.

  • Soul Fire Farm: Afro-Indigenous community farm uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system.

Thunder Valley trains Indigenous youth in construction and farming to address housing shortage, food crisis, and unemployment

4. Share your vision

Share your design on social media using #brightgreenfuture and @brightgreenfutr.

Your sketch can become part of a growing tapestry of a sustainable society!

You can also send your design to vision@brightgreenfuture.com. We’ll add it to a future collection of many visions from around the world.

Take the next step in your community:

  • Start conversions.

  • Learn from the visions of others.

  • Engage with organizations in your area that are active in building a sustainable society.

Get wisdom from 50+ visionaries of a regenerative future