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designing for life

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Newsletter: Microbes and Social Equity. Tools for Changemakers. Meetups & Offsites

Kris2022-10-04T09:19:11+00:00March 24th, 2022|newsletter|
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March 2022 Newsletter CONTENTS

  • Microbes and Social Equity
  • Tools for Changemakers
  • Multi-Species Cities
  • Design for Planet School for Village Hosts
  • Meetups/Retreats
  • Offsites for Teams

MICROBES AND SOCIAL EQUITY (VIDEO)
Ninety nine percent of life is invisible – so how do we design for that? To begin that conversation, I talked with Dr. Suzanne Ishaq – a microbiome researcher and founder of the Microbes and Social Equity working group. https://youtu.be/cdFaJLt89ck

TOOLS FOR CHANGEMAKERS (VIDEO)
Mutualaid. Local money. Collaborative care. Alternative futures are being created around the world – but not, for the most part, in plain sight. I talked with David Bollier about his new book which brings dozens of social projects like these to the fore. youtube.com/watch?v=iiOLJgbCsO4&t=485s

YOUTUBE (OUR NEW CHANNEL)

Please consider subscribing. youtube.com/johnthackaravideos

Design for Multi-Species Cities (PROJECT REPORT)
What would it mean to practice design in the knowledge that the well-being of humans, and non-humans, is inter-connected? A recent design workshop in Milan explored just this question: practical ways to make cities hospitable for all of life, not just human life. Students chose from three aspects of green infrastructure: a) Soil Care, Composting, Fermentation; b) Trees, Microparks, Edible Forest; c) Microbiome Inspired Green Infrastructure (MIGI) lifeworlds-multi-species-cities-and-relational-design

DESIGN FOR PLANET: people, soils, animals, plants (TEXT)
In what practical ways can design engage with places as living systems? Ways that are regenerative, and not its opposite? @designcouncil asked its eight Design For Planet Fellows, of which I am one, to share “an inspiring design”. I chose a project at Luma Arles, called Regenerative Empathy, about the design of new relationships between people, soils, animals, and plants in the Camargue bioregion in southern France. thackara.com/place-bioregion/an-inspiring-design/

SCHOOL FOR VILLAGE HOSTS
Who needs a ‘Village Host’? Well, in Italy alone, 5,500 small villages (those with 5,000 or fewer inhabitants) have been declining; in Spain, 3,500; in Serbia, 4,700 – to name just three of the countries involved in this new project. Many new activities and livelihoods are emerging – post-Covid tourism, agro-ecology, land-based learning – but such projects do not organise themselves. Read more about about this pan-European Erasmus+ project (which I’m advising) here: thackara.com/learning-design/open-school-for-village-hosts/

BACK TO THE LAND 2.0 SUMMER COURSE, SWEDEN
Summer masters course on sustainable food systems and biodiversity. 20 June to 28 August. The registration deadline has passed, but you can join a waiting list. www.backtotheland.se/

THACKARA MEETUPS / RETREATS I’m hosting three Meetups this summer at our home in southern France. If you are a designer, architect, project curator, postgrad student, researcher, or writer – and could use some help focusing your thesis, project, or book -– this year’s dates are:

24 May – 31 May
14 June – 21 June
7 July – 14 July
30 August – 6 September

You can apply by sending an email to meeting@thackara.com, describing your project and/or why you’d like to participate. For further information look at thackara.com/meetinfrance

Offsites for Teams If you want to bring a small team for an independent Offsite – maybe for fewer days – please get in touch. I can be available for sessions during your stay if you wish – but you determine the programme.

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john thackara 约翰·萨卡拉 Follow 27,877 12,473

What does designing for life mean in practice? Who is doing it? How we can help? I write, talk, advise, discuss. We also host offsites here in France .

johnthackara
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johnthackara avatar john thackara 约翰·萨卡拉 @johnthackara ·
25 Jul 1948679377077895491

A-mazing reversal of value flows: Pennsylvania Fibershed are sending Ambassadors *to* universities to "spark meaningful conversations, host events, and promote awareness around local fiber supply chains and sustainable fashion" https://pafibershed.org/ambassadorprogram

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johnthackara avatar john thackara 约翰·萨卡拉 @johnthackara ·
25 Jul 1948679377077895491

A-mazing reversal of value flows: Pennsylvania Fibershed are sending Ambassadors *to* universities to "spark meaningful conversations, host events, and promote awareness around local fiber supply chains and sustainable fashion" https://pafibershed.org/ambassadorprogram

Image for the Tweet beginning: A-mazing reversal of value flows: Twitter feed image.
Reply on Twitter 1948679377077895491 Retweet on Twitter 1948679377077895491 2 Like on Twitter 1948679377077895491 2 Twitter 1948679377077895491
johnthackara avatar john thackara 约翰·萨卡拉 @johnthackara ·
25 Jul 1948681379408937449

muliply-inspiring to learn that Pennsylvania Fibershed is a descendant both of Fibershed itself, and All Together Now PA, founded by the legendary Judy Wicks https://pafibershed.org/about

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johnthackara avatar john thackara 约翰·萨卡拉 @johnthackara ·
21 Jul 1947247746403930444

Intrigued by the notion of designing for life as a practice, many come to our MeetUps to work on a project, thesis, course, or book. They use the week to move it forward. France, 28 August to 4 September https://thackara.com/meetinfrance/meetup/

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johnthackara avatar john thackara 约翰·萨卡拉 @johnthackara ·
21 Jul 1947247746403930444

Intrigued by the notion of designing for life as a practice, many come to our MeetUps to work on a project, thesis, course, or book. They use the week to move it forward. France, 28 August to 4 September https://thackara.com/meetinfrance/meetup/

Image for the Tweet beginning: Intrigued by the notion of Twitter feed image.
Reply on Twitter 1947247746403930444 Retweet on Twitter 1947247746403930444 1 Like on Twitter 1947247746403930444 1 Twitter 1947247746403930444
johnthackara avatar john thackara 约翰·萨卡拉 @johnthackara ·
21 Jul 1947262097584226647

the kinds of project people come with...

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Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Extent: 192pp
Size: 23.4 x 15.6cm
paperback isbn: 9780500292945
  • Newsletter archive

Recent Blog Posts

  • How to balance proximity and modernity July 29, 2025
  • AgTech for Agroecology June 15, 2025
  • Learning-by-designing-and-making: Emiliano Godoy’s El ABC del Diseño May 8, 2025
  • Bioregioning: Sounds Nice, but I Need a Job April 17, 2025
  • Newsletter & 2025 Thackara Meetup Dates March 24, 2025

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Download

Thackara full CV 2022
(pdf, 35 pages A4)

Thackara Conference Chair / Jury
(pdf, 2 page A4)

Xskool Workshops
(pdf, 2018, 200KB; 7 pages A4)

Translated Editions of “In the Bubble”

SPANISH EDITION of "In the Bubble".
COVER_THACKARA_spanish.pngDiseñando Para un mundo complejo. Acciones para lograr la sustentabilidad
Buy at editorialdesignio.bigcartel.com

DUTCH EDITION of "In the Bubble".
Buy at publisher
or at
Amazon.

FRENCH EDITION bubble-french-cover-lge.jpgtranslated by Anne Despond-Barre and published by Marc Partouche for Cite du Design Editions. Buy at amazon.fr

ITALIAN EDITION bubble_italian_front.jpg"In the Bubble" translated by Niels Betori and published by Pier Paolo Peruccio for Allemandi.
è stato selezionato per la pubblicazione nell’ADI Design Index 2009.


PORTUGUESE EDITION, bubble-planoB-cover.jpg"In the Bubble"
Buy at virgilia.com or at Saraiva.com.


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johnthackara

designing for life

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JOHNTHACKARA    designing for life

  • Blog
  • About
    • What I am doing, and why
    • Profile
    • Talks & Conversations
    • Publications
    • Urban-Rural Projects
    • Videos
  • Meet in France
    • Meet in France
    • MeetUp
    • Offsite
    • Retreat (self directed)
  • Handouts
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© The John Thackara blog and website is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at john [at] thackara [d o t com], 1993-2025

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