Alive! When social innovation meets living systems (in the city) 

John Thackara, founder and Director of Doors of Perception, will talk about the large investment of resources which keep cities and nature separate, and what it would mean if that were about to change. There is now a shift from high-entropy concepts of infrastructure to a focus on living systems – from eco-boulevards to pollinator pathways. At the same time, a multitude of local communities are innovating new tools and platforms that enable people to share the provision of food, mobility, care, and learning. Taken together, these new ways to meet daily life needs are the seedlings of living local economies. John uses his personal encounters with energy angels, wind wizards, watershed stewards, urban farmers and more to start a conversation: What are the opportunities for Scotland? Can design-led innovation amplify change?