‘This is a wonderful book that should be on the desk of every architect and planner. It shows how

So are there models for planning systems that could address ethical issues?
This will require a decision arena where the ethical issues surrounding resource transfers can be 
made transparent, debated and resolved, as discussed in the next chapter. However, at a more modest 
scale, bioregional planning perhaps provides a model to build upon.
28
It aims to establish structures 
of governance and planning processes that can create better futures through collective community 
processes.
29
It is an emerging field that is based on the view that land-use planning and natural 
resource management should be re-structured at a bioregional scale, and along natural – rather than 
political – boundaries. The premise of bioregional planning is that human cultures co-evolved with 
nature and that they are, and will always be, interdependent. Economic, social and environmental 
institutions therefore need to be designed to align with, and correspond to, the bioregion. According 
to bioregionalism, human settlements, agriculture, manufacturing, urban infrastructures, construction 
and other systems of development should be transformed to function within the limits of the carrying 
capacity of each particular bioregion. To achieve this, systems of production and consumption would 
be largely ‘closed loop’ systems, where waste is avoided or used as a resource in another process [Box 
39]. In other words, according to bioregionalists, it is not enough that human systems become more 
eco-efficient. They should also conform to the unique biophysical 
and
cultural characteristics of the 
region.
Where did bioregional planning come from and has it had any impact?
Bioregional planning emerged from ‘bioregionalism’, a social movement which developed in the 1970s, 
although it had much earlier philosophical roots.
30
Bioregionalism implies maintenance of regional 
and cultural diversity. Each region offers different resources and, consequently, unique opportunities 
for specialized, ecologically-suitable crops, industries, products and services. If bioregionalism were 
implemented, therefore, the culture, economy, architecture and products of different regions would 
gradually regain their distinctive regional qualities. They would reflect both the region’s natural 
environment and indigenous culture. Bioregionalism also implies a degree of local autonomy. Regions 
would be relatively self-contained and self-sufficient from an ecological perspective. Opinions vary 
among bioregionalists on the extent to which trade among regions is desirable. However, it is fair to 
say that bioregionalism is 
not
compatible with corporate globalization. Also, if politics and planning 
emerge from the region, there would be no one universal planning template. So bioregional planning 
requires new processes, structures and methods that can identify and celebrate the special constraints, 
diversity and unique opportunities offered by different bioregions.

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Bioregional Planning