Rooted in Gaia Education’s international experience in community design education and sustainable systems thinking over more than ten years, we offer you this short course that highlights what is possible, what is being done, and what remains to be done, to transform society, while addressing the most pressing issues of our times. Designing for Sustainability invites a cross-generational process of critical thinking, the exploration of innovative solutions and social entrepreneurship, and is inspired by what Thich Nhat Hanh has called ‘interbeing’ – the connection we share with all living things.

Using examples from ecovillages and sustainable communities from around the world, this course will introduce you to people who are creating communities that tread more lightly on the planet and do so in a way that recognises the power of collaboration, the promise of regenerative systems and the value of diversity.

You will learn from the pioneers and visionaries who have dared to innovate and bring sustainability resilience and systemic thinking to urban, rural and traditional settings around the world. Our case studies range from experimental ecovillage communities to transformative innovation by the mainstream inhabitants of large cities and clustered neighbourhoods.

If you are looking for a course that puts sustainability into perspective, with frameworks and real life inspirations and examples of effective design, this is the best introduction you will find online today. Start with understanding the big picture of Designing for Sustainability and begin your learning journey as a global-local agent of change.

By the end of this introductory course you will be able to:

• list the system-wide challenges facing humankind and why it is important to learn about regenerative design in order to live more sustainably while addressing those challenges.
• offer examples of diverse community-led initiatives across the globe that bring together people who are trying to live more sustainably.
• explain why sustainable community design aims not only to sustain thriving regenerative communities but also to regenerate the entire web of life on which our long-term survival depends.
• think systemically in terms of design with the aim to create thriving human communities, while simultaneously improving the health of the whole Earth system and the community of life.
• name the key aspects of the value-systems change and ethical principles underlying the design of sustainable community and regenerative cultures.
• engage with the power of collaborative learning, collective intelligence and the importance of reflection, both individually and in a group.

You will also be fully informed about the benefits and time commitment associated with the 14 month-long Gaia Education Design for Sustainability Programme so you can make an informed choice whether, after the big picture, you might want to enter into the detail of Design for Sustainability. After completing the introduction you will be given a special discount should you wish to enrol in the year-long online certificate programme.