urban planning

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Biophilia: Africa, Nature and Remembering What It Means to be Human

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Biophilia: Africa, Nature and Remembering What It Means to be Human

As Biophilic Design continues to gather momentum around the world, much of the conversation has centred on research emerging from Europe, North America and Australia. Yet one of the most powerful perspectives may come from a continent where living with nature has never been considered a design trend at all. For Wangui Mwangi, Founding Chair of the Green Biophilic Living Society and Convener of the Africa Biophilic Building Conference & Expo 2026, biophilia is less about innovation than remembering.

Speaking on the Journal of Biophilic Design podcast, she describes traditional African settlements where buildings were constructed using local materials, courtyards encouraged natural ventilation, communities lived outdoors, and architecture reflected both ecological intelligence and spiritual connection.

Watch the interview and read more…

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Dare to Dream - Why Stone is calling us back to Nature

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Dare to Dream - Why Stone is calling us back to Nature

There is something deeply timeless about holding a piece of natural stone. Perhaps it is the cool surface beneath our fingertips. Perhaps it is the intricate mineral patterns that could never be replicated twice. Or perhaps it is something much older than conscious thought—a recognition that for almost all of human history, stone has been our shelter, our monuments, our meeting places and our memories.

While we are searching for healthier, more sustainable ways to design our buildings, natural stone deserves to be part of the Biophilic Design conversation once again.

During this conversation on The Journal of Biophilic Design Podcast, Benjamin Ayling, UK Business Development Manager for Lundhs and founding member of the Stone Collective, reflected on why this ancient material still resonates so deeply today.

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How to Fast-track a Regenerative Future

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How to Fast-track a Regenerative Future

Efforts to tackle the climate and nature crisis often focus on policy, science and activism. But according to Will Hayler, founder and CEO of The Blue Earth Summit, real transformation will only happen when entrepreneurs and investors are fully part of the conversation.

 

Speaking about the philosophy behind the Blue Earth Summit, Will argues that innovation and enterprise are essential if environmental solutions are to move beyond ideas and into the real economy. “If you're really serious about solving problems, you need entrepreneurs in the room,” he says.

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We spend 90% of our time indoors. Here’s how Biophilic Design can make that healthier.

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We spend 90% of our time indoors. Here’s how Biophilic Design can make that healthier.

We spend about 90% of our lives indoors, yet our cities, offices and homes are rarely designed with the biological reality of that fact in mind. That disconnect between humans and the natural systems we evolved within is becoming harder to ignore. Biophilic Design is a growing movement in architecture and planning, which argues that bringing nature back into the built environment is not a luxury or aesthetic flourish but a public-health, economic and social necessity.

 

Alexandra Bowen, founder of the Biophilic Design Community on LinkedIn, puts it bluntly: “Our minds and bodies evolved over thousands of years to thrive in nature. If we’re indoors almost all the time, we have to be deliberate about reconnecting with it.”

Her argument echoes a growing body of research suggesting that the benefits are measurable. Studies cited by designers show that access to daylight and views of nature can improve cognitive performance and memory recall by around 15%, while hospitals with natural light have reported 41% shorter patient stays. In schools, improved ventilation has been linked to 14% better maths scores and significantly reduced sickness absence.

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