Winning hearts and minds or evidence-driven: Which trajectory for regenerative design?

The Building Research & Information special issue titled 'Regenerative Design and Development' (2012, volume 40, number 1) describes the emerging theory and practices for this field. This commentary reflects on the types of argumentation that are used to promote the regenerative design approach. Predominantly the papers seek to 'win hearts and minds' by presenting regenerative design as a virtuous activity that society should do - either altruistically for the sake of the planet or more selfishly to ensure that it continues to be inhabitable for our species. The effort required by the regenerative approach as described in the papers is enormous: to remake both the nature of professional services and wider society through our work as designers and developers. While regenerative design is still in its infancy, its theoreticians and practitioners need to establish its evidence base as quickly as possible. Without clear and overwhelming evidence of its benefits, it is unlikely that regenerative design will prove any more influential for mainstream policy and practice than sustainability has over the last two decades.