Green vs. Sustainable vs. Regenerative
What is the difference between green design, sustainable design, and regenerative design?
The Wikipedia article on regenerative design details a distinction between the words ‘green’, ‘sustainable’, and ‘regenerative’.
Green design in architecture, for example, focuses on the reduction of harmful effects on the environment and humans with such attributes as:
reduces damage to natural or sensitive sites
reduces the need for new infrastructure
reduces the impacts on natural feature and site ecology during construction
reduces the potential environmental damage from emissions and outflows
reduces the contributions to global environmental damage
reduces resource use – energy, water, materials
minimizes the discomfort of building occupants
minimizes harmful substances and irritants within building interiors
Sustainable design differs slightly from green design in that sustainability is chiefly interested in the long-term, ongoing health and availability of natural resources. Sustainable design:
promotes a bio-centric view that places the human presence within a larger natural context
makes technological and engineering processes more efficient
seeks to enable and maintain the essential and natural functions of ecosystems
aims for a “steady state of equilibrium” in which there is a balance between inputs and outputs
sees the need to change fundamental values and behavior
emphasizes net-zero and net-positive environments
Regenerative design goes a step further than the equilibrium of sustainable design. In a regenerative system, feedback loops allow for adaptability and co-evolutionary partnerships between humans and their environment. Regenerative design:
focuses on mapping relationships from the statistics we gather
believes that the built environment should be designed to co-evolve with the surrounding natural environment
wants technology, buildings and infrastructure to serve as a catalyst for positive change and human and environmental thriving
looks to understanding place and its unique patterns
designs for harmony within place
emphasizes co-evolution of people and planet