Building Infrastructure for Planetary Regeneration:
Stuart Cowan, Chief Scientist at the Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI), presents a powerful opportunity to explore the frontiers of regenerative design, systems thinking, and whole systems transformation. Cowan is known for connecting deep ecological intelligence with design science and planetary health.
- Buckminster Fuller envisioned a world where design solves global challenges. How close are we to that vision today?
- What does it mean to design for regeneration instead of just sustainability?
- How can systems thinking help the public understand the root causes of today’s crises—from climate to inequality?
- What role does integrated design science play in reshaping economic and ecological systems simultaneously?
- How can we better teach or embody Buckminster Fuller’s idea of being a ‘trim tab’—a small force for massive change?
REGENERATIVE FUTURES & CIVILIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
- We hear terms like “civilizational phase shift” and “planetary boundaries”—what do these mean for how we live, govern, and design?
- What are the most promising regenerative design projects you’ve seen that exemplify a new operating system for humanity?
- What would it look like to embed biomimicry and indigenous knowledge at the core of how we build, grow food, and create energy?
- How can young changemakers actively participate in the design of a more beautiful, regenerative future?
- What does BFI see as the most critical leverage points to transform systems at scale—within the next 10 years?
ACTION & IMPLEMENTATION
- What actions can cities, communities, or cooperatives take right now to shift toward regenerative design?
- What are the biggest misconceptions preventing systemic action at the level needed today?
- How can storytelling and public imagination accelerate the transition to regenerative civilization?
- How do we build cross-sector collaborations that actually stick and scale?
- If you had 10 minutes with global leaders at COP or the UN, what would you urge them to do differently—starting today?
Action Steps to Request or Offer
- What are five actions anyone can take to begin thinking and acting as a regenerative designer in their own life?
- Can we co-create a public-facing “Design Science Starter Kit” for schools, cooperatives, or citizen leaders?
Inspiration
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
— Buckminster Fuller
Stuart Cowan, Buckminster Fuller Institute
Dr. Stuart Cowan is the Executive Director of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, which is dedicated to the realization of Fuller’s vision of a world that works for 100% of humanity in the shortest time possible through spontaneous cooperation. In this role, he launched the BFI Design Lab to develop critical infrastructure for resilience and regeneration at local to bioregional to planetary scales. He brings 25 years of experience in regenerative design, finance, and systems and is a planetary strategist, ecological designer, systems scientist, and regenerative economist. He is the Co-Founder of Autopoiesis LLC, which works to regenerate communities, ecosystems, and organizations.
He was the founding convener of the Regenerative Communities Network from 2018-20, supporting 15 bioregions on their journeys of regeneration. He brings a diverse range of experiences including Chief Scientist at the Smart Cities Council, Transaction Manager for the sustainable investment fund Portland Family of Funds, and Conservation Economy Research Director at the non-profit Ecotrust. He is the co-author with Sim Van der Ryn of Ecological Design, and received his doctorate in Applied Mathematics from U.C. Berkeley with a focus on Complex Systems and Ecological Economics. He has taught and facilitated internationally for academic institutions, cities, companies, indigenous groups and governments.
