The UK is tackling crises in: climate change, living costs, social inequalities, rocketing housing prices and a disengagement from our natural world. These factors impact: human health, wellbeing, societal cohesion, accessible and equitable opportunities. Sustainable design interventions are interconnected, complex, place-based and culturally contextual. Sustainable proposals should be embedded into our lives, equitably and accessible to all citizens. In contemporary times, it is also sadly notable that humans are not formally given the knowledge, or resources, to look after ecosystems homosapiens rely on for life. This often leaves sustainable practices polarised, draconian or seen as a luxury.
Society needs new ways to navigate: socially equitable, accessible and designed models that are financially stable, catalysing sustainable action(s). Relationships with nature must be built into our: communities, lives and homes. Authors believe social constructs live alongside pro-active rejuvenation of the natural world, with overlapping co-benefits to humans and more-than-humans. Buckton et al, The Regenerative Lens states societies must “transform their dynamics to support the flourishing of life. [As] there is increasing interest in regeneration, but also limited cohered understanding of what constitutes regenerative systems at social-ecological scales” (2023).
Authors introduce Ecological Citizenship (EC): activities establishing and catalysing sustainable practice(s) addressing ecological inequalities (Phillips et al, 2024). The Ecological Citizen(s) Network is intent on catalysing transitions with communities by providing autonomy, accessibility to design, initiating sustainable conditions and open pro-social possibilities. The Housing for Good (HFG) concept, perceives preferable futures where thousands of people can catalyse communities inclusively empowered by: affordable housing, time, accessible space and security. HFG is an ambitious initiative providing highly affordable housing to citizens in exchange for their contributions in making communities healthier, greener, stronger and joyful. The design-led HFG connects design practice(s), social constructs and philanthropic finances, requiring lived experience and expertise to navigate. HFG explores social inequalities, while exploring contemporary and future designers roles in city transformation, through tangible examples. The article's main argument: unpacks an accessible housing opportunity, benefiting nature, citizens and communities, engaging 30+ citizens in two UK locations with transferable lessons and insights. The work trialed more inclusive and accessible strategic design methods.
Our intention supports climate positive post-participatory design, with citizens, providing a repeatable internationally applicable framework, for place-based application contexts. The Ecological Citizen(s) Network is UKRI funded and mandated to prioritise the UK. Authors are against imposing colonialism, hence the work's focus is UK centric in practice, whilst unpacking a scalable international concept. Other parties can build on HFG, as place-based contextual nuances and cultural understanding is paramount. Resilience signifies moving beyond governmental systems and establishing citizen legacies. Authors are intent on designing beyond generations and believe co-designing to benefit people and nature concerns nurturing community autonomy with the means to become Ecological Citizen(s). The UK has endured 14 years of self-interested political rule (Knight, 2024 & Elledge, 2024) … Citizens deserve more resilient, nature aligned approaches.