Living Infrastructure Field Kit
Bringing together built, natural, and social systems
ARLA was created by TreePeople founder Andy Lipkis to develop whole systems approaches to accelerating climate resilience in L.A. This partnership has been the primary catalyst for Spherical's significant growth in recent years.
The first public release of the software will be in mid-October 2024. Stay tuned!
The Living Infrastructure Field Kit is a comprehensive set of tools designed to support the development and implementation of living infrastructure projects.
It integrates built, natural, and social systems to help communities thrive by involving them throughout the project lifecycle to achieve meaningful multi-benefits.
Conventional infrastructure is no longer enough to keep people safe in the era of climate change. To expand beyond traditional infrastructure approaches, we asked:
What if infrastructure could heal our places, uncover the full potential of our communities, and thrive in partnership with the living world?
These questions led to the development of the five principles of the Living Infrastructure framework: Honor Place, Grow Participation, Embody Justice, Foster Resilience, and Regenerate Life.
The Living Infrastructure Framework does not introduce new concepts—they are reflected in examples throughout time and across cultures and integrate the wisdom of many Indigenous, environmental, climate, and social justice organizations in communities worldwide. Instead, the framework seeks to make these approaches more explicit and practical to support a paradigm shift from life-destroying to life-creating systems.
Unlike conventional gray-green infrastructures, which emphasize isolated and often generic physical interventions shepherded by technical experts, living infrastructure integrates reciprocal relationships between unique places and the communities that reside in them. Gray-green infrastructures can be integrated into living infrastructure, but living infrastructure cannot be reduced to gray or green, as those traditional definitions do not include the necessity of reciprocal relationships at the community and ecological scale. Ultimately, living infrastructure is never done; it is dynamic and alive, infused with human care and spirit, and can evolve living habitats for the benefit of all life.
