Selected Regenerative Development Bibliography

Regenesis — place, living systems, and regenerative design

  1. Mang, Pamela, Ben Haggard, and Regenesis. (2016). Regenerative Development and Design: A Framework for Evolving Sustainability. Wiley.
    The central Regenesis book: understanding place, working from potential, developing stakeholder relationships, and building the capacity for continuing regeneration. This is the strongest starting point for your bibliography. Wiley Online Books

  2. Reed, Bill. (2007). “Shifting from ‘Sustainability’ to Regeneration.” Building Research & Information, 35(6), 674–680.
    A foundational explanation of the transition from reducing environmental damage to participating in the health and evolution of living systems. Article. tandfonline.com

  3. Mang, Pamela, and Bill Reed. (2012). “Designing from Place: A Regenerative Framework and Methodology.” Building Research & Information, 40(1), 23–38.
    Particularly relevant to your work: connects worldview, principles, methodology, and the distinctive character of place. Published online in 2011; the journal issue is dated 2012. Full text. regenesisgroup.com

  4. Benne, Beatrice, and Pamela Mang. (2015). “Working Regeneratively across Scales—Insights from Nature Applied to the Built Environment.” Journal of Cleaner Production.
    Examines relationships among a project, its immediate surroundings, and larger systems. Beatrice Benne now publishes as Beatrice Ungard; retain Benne when citing this article. ScienceDirect

  5. Glanzberg, Joel. (2018). “Leadership in Living Systems.” The Regenerative Development Blog.
    A complementary practitioner essay on leadership through a living-systems perspective. Available through the Regenesis resource collection. Regenesis Institute

John Boecker, 7group, and integrative practice

  1. 7group and Bill Reed. (2009). The Integrative Design Guide to Green Building: Redefining the Practice of Sustainability. Wiley.
    The key reference for connecting regenerative thinking with the practical organization of design and construction. John Boecker is a co-author through 7group, alongside his partners and Bill Reed. Includes process guidance, examples, and case studies. Book information. Boecker Resume

  2. Mang, Pamela, and Ben Haggard. (2018). “Creating Regenerative Processes.” 7group, March 13.
    An excerpt from their 2016 book, published by 7group, describing the Lions Gate planning process facilitated by John Boecker and Bill Reed. Useful for examining how the design process develops participants’ thinking and collaboration. Read the excerpt. www.sevengroup.com

Image above by Matthew Salenger

Carol Sanford — human capability, organizations, and systemic change

  1. Sanford, Carol. (2011). The Responsible Business: Reimagining Sustainability and Success. Jossey-Bass.
    Connects business responsibility with the interdependent relationships among an organization and its stakeholders. Carol Sanford

  2. Sanford, Carol. (2014). The Responsible Entrepreneur: Four Game-Changing Archetypes for Founders, Leaders, and Impact Investors. Jossey-Bass.
    Explores entrepreneurial roles in changing industries and social systems. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  3. Sanford, Carol. (2017). The Regenerative Business: Redesign Work, Cultivate Human Potential, Achieve Extraordinary Outcomes. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
    A central text for understanding how organizational structures and everyday work can develop human capability. Carol Sanford

  4. Sanford, Carol. (2020). The Regenerative Life: Transform Any Organization, Our Society, and Your Destiny. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
    Extends regenerative thinking into the roles people play in work, families, education, and society. carolsanford.com

  5. Sanford, Carol. (2022). Indirect Work: A Regenerative Change Theory for Businesses, Communities, Institutions, and Humans. InterOctave.
    Develops her approach to enabling change through the underlying conditions and capabilities that produce outcomes. carolsanford.com

  6. Sanford, Carol. (2023). No More Gold Stars: Regenerating Capacity to Think for Ourselves. InterOctave.
    Relevant to learning, independent thinking, and the development of personal agency. carolsanford.com

  7. Sanford, Carol, and Ben Haggard, with the Regenerative Economy Collaborative. (2020). The Regenerative Economic Shaper: A Framework for Architecting the Next Economy.
    A useful bridge between Sanford’s work and Regenesis, extending regenerative thinking into economic systems. Available through the Regenesis resource collection. Regenesis Institute

A broader companion text

  1. Wahl, Daniel Christian. (2016). Designing Regenerative Cultures. Triarchy Press.
    Connects regenerative development with cultural change, ecological design, and community resilience. A revised and updated edition appeared in 2022. Publisher’s page.