“What is the change we need to get to?” Regenerative community practitioner and eco-architect Duncan Crowley shares a fascinating and inspiring overview of his evolving work as a community facilitator where architecture moves to city planning, then community design, opening the way for community organizing and activism.

For this episode of Designers of Paradise host Erik van Lennep catches up with old friend and long time colleague, Duncan Crowley. An Irish architect by training, “slow tourism” is just one aspect of the ‘learn-and-do’ journey which has (so far) taken him from Ireland to Catalunya to Brazil and back to Portugal- but it is “raising our game” that motivates him.

They discuss how Duncan got into architecture and where he has focused in the field; the nature of beauty, and the value of an experience-based intercultural perspective. Duncan talks about the importance of tracking change, opening spaces for people to come together and learn together, and of using tech to help cities and communities across the world link up on sustainable community initiatives.

From community gardens to climate resilience and “life in the current bottleneck” of our species, they close with a discussion of systems change vs. climate change and Duncan’s work with the Ecolise network.

About Duncan:

• Twitter
  
• LinkedIn
• Academic research

References & Notes:

• Buckminster Fuller on designing for beauty
• Dolphin’s Barn in Dublin
• Update on Dolphins Barn Community Garden
• Barcelona en Comu (English language manifesto)
• Curitiba Brazil
• Jaime Lerner
• UrbanA
• Ecolise network
• Transition Network
• Erik’s interview with Rob Hopkins
• Extinction Rebellion
• Roger Hallam- COMMON SENSE FOR THE 21st CENTURY.
• Ecocity World Summit Vancouver

Support our Sponsor

Designers of Paradise is made possible, in part, by Mind & Media. Over the last quarter century, the writers, producers, storytellers and media specialists at Mind & Media have spearheaded a multitude of engaging and complex communication campaigns.