How can communities reconnect with place while shifting away from extractive systems? Matt Biggar, researcher, consultant, and author of Connected to Place, joins Kevin Bayuk to explore how place-based systems change can help regenerate nature, strengthen communities, and build more resilient local economies. Drawing on his background in education, sustainability, and transportation research, Matt reflects on the experiences that shaped his thinking and the frameworks he now uses to understand systemic change.
The conversation explores why awareness alone rarely changes behavior, and how physical infrastructure, social relationships, and cultural norms shape the choices people make every day. Matt and Kevin discuss the levers for systems change outlined in Matt’s book, including shifting power, transforming land use, resetting culture, and building collaboration across sectors. They also examine examples from cities like Paris and San Francisco that show how changes to streets, public space, and local infrastructure can influence broader social and economic transformation.
Matt also reflects on collaboration fatigue, the importance of trust and shared vision in collective action, and why personal change and systems change must work together rather than in opposition. Listen in for a thought-provoking conversation about reconnecting with place and building the foundations for a more regenerative future!
Read the rest and listen to the episode at Lift Economy
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