Ecology

John Thackara|Essays

Caloryville: The Two-Wheeled City

In China, ‘battery-bikes’ are outselling cars by four-to-one. Pedelec sales are soaring in Europe, too. Is this the start of system-wide phase-shift in transportation?

John Thackara|Interviews

Ecuador, Open Knowledge, and ‘Buen Vivir’: Interview With Michel Bauwens

John Thackara interviews Michel Bauwens, founder of the P2P Foundation, is to lead a strategic policy project for Ecuador’s government called Free/Libre Open Knowledge (FLOK), also known as the social knowledge economy project.

John Thackara|Insights Per Minute

John Thackara on Avatar

John Thackara is a writer, speaker and design producer, and director of Doors of Perception. In addition to this blog, he is the author of twelve books including In The Bubble: Designing In A Complex World and Wouldn't It Be Great If….

John Thackara|Essays

Between Sorrel And Supertanker

John Thackara reviews the recent Doors of Perception xskool.

John Thackara|Essays

Green Tourism: Why It Failed And How It Can Succeed

At a conference with 300 travel industry professionals, John Thackara ponders the successes, failures and potential in the Green Tourism industry.

John Thackara|Essays

Trust Is Not An Algorithm

By some accounts the world’s information is doubling every two years. This impressive if unprovable fact has got many people wondering: what to do with it?

John Thackara|Essays

A Roof, A Skill, A Market

The Nubian Vault Association has evolved a unique approach to housing in West Africa that creates three kinds of value within local economies: a roof, a skill and a market.

John Thackara|Essays

Venice: from Gated Lagoon to Bioregion

A review of the options that Venice faces in trying to shore up the city.

John Thackara|Essays

From Autobahn to Bioregion

A review of the projects submitted to the Audi Urban Future Award.

Observed|Essays

Design Indaba Online FilmFest

Design Indaba's online film festival features 10 of the Focus Forward short films.

Rob Walker|Essays

Killing for Beautiful Objects

A report on the ivory trade reminds us of the uniquely human willingness to kill for beautiful objects.

John Thackara|Essays

How To Manage a Constellation

To solve complex and interconnected human-environment challenges, like the death of the Baltic Sea, we need to build ‘social-ecological coalitions’ or ‘constellations’.