Inspiring places

We want to show our colleagues what sustainability could mean for them, and experience what it feels like to be in a place which is built on values like care for the Earth and each other. Where can you take them, for a bit of sustainability magic?

Here are some of my favourites and a sprinkling of suggestions from other sustainability people via LinkedIn.

  • Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Machynlleth, Wales. My first introduction to irl renewables and still inspiring people 30 years later.

  • Eden Project, Cornwall. Education and botantical gardens in a futuristic setting.

  • The Crystal, Royal Victoria Docks, London. Mainstream conference and meeting venue in a sustainable building, with an exhibition on the future of cities.

  • Also in London is the BedZed development - low-carbon homes and work spaces.

  • Another approach to sustainable housing is at the Threshold Centre Cohousing Community

  • The BRE (Building Research Establishment) has an innovation park , with full size demonstration houses.

  • City farms and community gardens - there are examples in cities across the UK. Find one here.

  • Another source of great examples local to you (if you're in the UK) is the network of SuperHomes - old homes retrofitted to make them super low-carbon. They are private homes, so open to visit at specific times only.

Study tour

It's also possible to put together your own study tour. When I asked my contacts, Freiburg in Germany was suggested by Marcus Grant, who said:

"go by train to Freiburg for a 360 degree view of much sustainability at city and regional scale. A good trip can cover transport, energy, waste, biodiversity, urbanism, community, governance, food access and farming, technology, and many other issues."

(Freiburg is also home to the Freiburg standard reusable cup, mentioned in May's Making the Path by Walking newsletter.)

Another city with a lot to offer is Oxford. Jo Colwell suggests visiting

"Rose Hill Community Centre [which] really is sustainable development. Osney Lock Hydro or West Oxford Community Centre. Turl Street Kitchen too!"

You can find more inspiring Oxford pathfinders on the Low Carbon Oxford website.

Let’s go outside

If you need something quicker and easier, Tim Malnick says:

"spending good time in as wild a natural environment as possible is a great start. Observation, experience and then encouraging a group to consider what is going on here - by way of connection, diversity, energy exchange, cycles etc etc. often a powerful way in. In a similar vein I might take a group to a really good permaculture project - to see the next step in applying natural principles to human design. From there a next step might be into more business sustainabilty applications - indeed they may be in a better position to compare the reality to the inspiration of a natural system at that point."

Venues

Venues for workshops and meetings, with a bit of extra sustainability interest thrown in, include:

You tell me

I'd love to hear about other inspiring places - email me penny@penny-walker.co.uk

Making the Path by Walking

This post was also including in October’s Making the Path by Walking newsletter. Scroll down to subscribe.