Thackara Meetups In France
People come to reflect on what designing for life might mean for them. Some are working on a live project, thesis, course, or book. Others want to transform their professional situation, and only do good work. They use a time-out here to figure out how to do that. Whether you come as an individual, or in a team, your stay here combines me-time, you-time, and we-time. Our meetups are for designers of all kinds, ecologists, curators, team leaders, managers, professors, researchers, artists, and writers.
In previous meetups people came projects to do with:
- agtech for agroecology (Sweden);
- wearable tech for the fragrance industry (UK);
- method cards for sustainable design (Spain);
- design for soil care (France);
- urban ecology dashboard (China);
- school for village hosts (Italy);
- watershed restoration (Scotland);
- starter course on bioregioning (England);
- a national digital archive (Netherlands);
- social-ecological atlas for a province (Belgium);
- post-tourism hospitality (France)
What I’m up to in my work
Landscapes of Care (Scotland, April)
How might design better serve places? This is the theme of Glasgow School of Art’s winter school. In January, to kick things off, I did a talk called Landscapes of Care, based on examples from India, China, and Scotland.
youtube.com/watch?v=eG5gEE_zCdY
Next up, in April, I’m joining 100 researchers and students on the Altyre Estate, site of the GSA’s Highlands & Islands Campus. We’ll explore how design can enhance relationships between human beings, places, and living systems. My hosts are Professor Gordon Hush, head of the GSA’s Innovation School, and Professor Albert Fuster, curator of Winter School.
Bioregioning in Practice (Online Course Starts 21 April)
Ten of the world’s leading practitioners will guide you through the foundational concepts and practical applications of bioregioning, and equip you with the tools to start your own journey. My ‘follow-the-money’ session (on 20 May) asks: Who is doing it – and getting paid? What can we learn from them? One starting point: many activities out there, that have budgets attached to them, have a bioregional content but different names – such as regional or rural development, ecological restoration, living infrastructure, natural farming, food system transformation, or landscape design. We will hear from people who are bioregional practitioners – even if they don’t all use that word.
Bioregioning Conversations (Videos)
There’s a revival of interest in bioregions and bioregioning. In 2024, I helped the Bioregional Learning Centre (BLC) launch a podcast series that features practitioners working among watersheds, fibersheds, and food systems.
”Care, Value, Place” (Live at BITSdesign, Mumbai, September)
System transformations are happening – but how can design help? I’m advising a new design school in India – BITSdesign – founded by Kumar Mangalam Birla, and led by its Dean, Nandita Abraham. Last September, I co-curated a two day conference in Mumbai on the theme of “Care, Value, Place”. We asked 20 grassroots project leaders to tell us whether – and if so, how – design might aid their work. Their projects included regenerative water systems; the social life of mobility; community-based recycling; social design; Community Managed Natural Farming. We are planning a second event this September. Meanwhile, September’s Care Value Place keynote videos have been posted on this YouTube channel:
And here are my reflections on that event:
Shanghai Urban Ecology Lab + Sustain-X LAB (Tongji University)
At Tongji University, I help senior leadership, and faculty, develop real-world research agendas, and produce events. I’m helping the Shanghai Urban Ecology Lab foster ecological literacy among citizens in Chinese cities. And at SustainX lab, led by Tongji Vice President Professor Lou Yongqi, we’re exploring new urban-rural geographies. I just wrote this book chapter for SustainX: Can AI enable new ways of knowing – and being?
thackara.com/natureconnection/can-ai-enable-new-ways-of-knowing-and-being/
Dancing With Life: Thirty Design Steps
The words ‘Dancing With Life’ were coined by the scientist Donella Meadows to describe healthy ways to connect with, and live among, living systems. Her words are the working title of my next book which will be co-published in 2026 by Thames & Hudson, and Lilliput Press. If you can’t wait until then, there are 900+ blog posts at thackara.com = plus a handout listing 100+ designing for life case study collections.
Three Headline Talks for 2025-2026
Designing For Life | Rewilding AI | Oil Age to Soil Age
