Under pressure from profit-driven economies, global construction practices are expanding relentlessly, impacting the environment, water systems, communities and countless ecosystems. Moving towards a more sustainable future requires a shift from extraction to regeneration, relying on what already exists. Rather than demolish and rebuild, we can focus on building less, reusing what’s here, inhabiting it in new ways and nurturing its value.

What if we stopped building by destroying and opened up new possibilities? From redistributing existing buildings and rethinking the nature of value creation, to implementing anti-extractive policies, embracing structural change, updating educational frameworks and dismantling exploitative industrial norms. Such shifts point to an overhaul in the way we design and build.