Regenerative infrastructure reverses the environmental damage done by human activity and the built environment using nature and natural processes.

Regenerative infrastructure refers to the design and implementation of infrastructure systems that work in harmony with nature, prioritize sustainability, and have the capacity to restore and regenerate ecosystems. These systems aim to minimize negative environmental impacts while providing social and economic benefits.

NurtureStructure is at the forefront of the research and development of regenerative design systems that can transform our environment and daily lives into being part of environmental solutions, not problems.

For most of the history of development, a divide has been created between where humans settled and the surrounding natural world. Buried and damned waterways, seafront barricades, buffer zones, land reclamation – a strange us vs them tension has existed between man and the natural environment.

Modern man does not experience himself as a part of nature but as an outside force destined to dominate and conquer it. He even talks of a battle with nature, forgetting that, if he won the battle, he would find himself on the losing side.

Ernst F. Schumacher, Small Is Beautiful

NurtureStructure is working to reverse the built environment’s relationship with nature by developing a new line of restorative designs, methods, and products guided by permaculture principles. A great deal of our work is on researching and developing regenerative infrastructure.

Regenerative Infrastructure

Infrastructure that integrates nature and natural processes within the necessary systems of our cities, communities, and daily lives. We are focusing on restorative design elements that “plug in” to existing structures and environments to provide resourceful solutions to ecological problems.

We have a deep pool of regenerative design experience to draw from from in this pursuit. For years, NurtureStructure founder Scott Burnham has led the global Reprogramming the City initiative. Reprogramming the City works to repurpose urban structures, surfaces and systems, and show how they can be re-imagined, re-purposed and re-invented to do more in the city. 

Reprogramming the City has worked in numerous cities around the world to apply regenerative design to the existing physical assets of the city – regenerating existing urban structures, systems, and spaces to perform new functions to benefit urban residents and improve wellbeing.

Through workshops, exhibitions, and keynote talks, Scott Burnham has successfully changed people’s perceptions of the potential held by the existing urban landscape.

NurtureStructure is a natural extension of Burnham’s work, illustrating the power regenerative design and regenerative infrastructure can have on our domestic, community, and urban spaces by placing nature and natural processes at the heart of everything we create and the actions we take.

Please get in touch if you’d like to learn more about our regenerative design research and development.

If you’d like to know more, here are some examples of regenerative infrastructure:

1. Green roofs and walls: These structures incorporate vegetation on roofs and walls of buildings, helping to improve air quality, reduce urban heat island effect, and manage stormwater runoff. They also provide insulation and contribute to biodiversity.
2. Permeable pavement: Permeable pavement materials, such as porous concrete or permeable pavers, allow water to pass through them, facilitating natural groundwater recharge and reducing surface runoff. This helps to manage stormwater, prevent flooding, and filter pollutants.
3. Urban agriculture: Integrating agricultural practices within urban environments, such as community gardens, rooftop farms, and vertical gardens, can increase local food production, improve community health, and promote biodiversity.
4. Bioremediation: This process uses plants, fungi, and microorganisms to remove or neutralize contaminants in soil, water, or air, helping to restore polluted environments. Bioremediation can be used at brownfield sites or in areas affected by pollution.
5. Constructed wetlands: These are artificially created wetland systems designed to treat wastewater or stormwater runoff through natural processes such as sedimentation, filtration, and biological degradation. They can also provide valuable habitat for local wildlife.
6. Living shoreline techniques: Living shorelines use natural materials, such as plants, sand, or rock, to stabilize and protect coastal areas from erosion while promoting habitat restoration and enhancing coastal resilience.
7. Solar and wind farms: Renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar panels and wind turbines, can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil fuel-based energy sources. Additionally, these installations can be designed to promote biodiversity and support local ecosystems.
8. Ecological corridors: These are dedicated areas that connect fragmented habitats, enabling wildlife to move freely and promoting genetic diversity. They can be integrated into transportation infrastructure, such as green bridges or underpasses, to reduce the impact of human development on ecosystems.
9. Carbon capture and storage facilities: These facilities capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and industrial processes, helping to mitigate climate change. Some carbon capture technologies also utilize biological processes, such as the use of algae or bioenergy crops, to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
10. Circular economy initiatives: Infrastructure designed to support a circular economy, such as waste-to-energy plants, recycling facilities, and decentralized composting systems, can reduce waste and promote the efficient use of resources.