Investigating Regenerative Ideation within Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The rapid deterioration of ecosystems and the growing impacts of climate change, which is expected to increase the average global temperature by 3–6 degrees Celsius by 2100 according to The Paris Agreement, reveals that sustainability is no longer an adequate solution to these ongoing challenges. As a result, a paradigm shift toward a more evolutionary approach has recently become a demand, where regenerative concepts have rapidly replaced current sustainable practices. Rather than minimizing human impacts on the environment, regenerative ideation aims to generate more than consume and tackles many shortcomings of conventional sustainability. Therefore, the study attempts to provide an answer for the debate on how far can regenerative ideation go beyond current sustainability, and to what extent does this concept deliver on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, the study aims first to develop regenerative development goals that adopt an integrated approach and secondly to assure their compliance with the UN’s SDGs. The study employed a qualitative methodology and the case study approach to examine the applicability of the proposed principles. The findings provide clear criteria for architects and urban designers to use in spreading regenerative design to create a more responsible built environment. The study recommends further research on creating regenerative development and design metrics and indicators for practicing the concept within the built environment.