As cities around the world reckon with climate challenges, biodiversity loss, and the social fragmentation caused by unchecked development, a new model for living is emerging—one that turns to nature not only for inspiration but for co-creation. Enter the “Bioregional Hub:” a place-based, integrated system of living that harmonizes human settlements with natural ecosystems. These hubs aren’t utopian dreams—they’re real-world prototypes reshaping how we live, build, govern, and grow. And they are poised to become the most vital infrastructure of our time.
What is a Bioregional hub?
Bioregional hubs are more than just eco-communities—they are living laboratories for regeneration, rooted in the ecological, cultural, and economic realities of their specific landscapes. Informed by regenerative design and Indigenous land stewardship, these hubs serve as blueprints for how humanity can thrive within the limits of nature—rather than in spite of them.
At their core, Bioregional Hubs integrate:
Sustainable Land Stewardship: Using regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and rewilding to restore ecosystems
Circular Economies: Fostering local production, closed-loop systems, and regenerative finance
Resilient Infrastructure: Building with renewable energy, water conservation, and nature-based design
Cultural Regeneration: Celebrating Indigenous wisdom, community resilience, and intergenerational knowledge
Wellness and Education: Cultivating immersive spaces for ecological literacy and holistic well-being
These principles serve as the scaffolding for a new era of climate-adaptive, community-centered development.
From Movement to Model: The Origins of Bioregionalism
Bioregionalism emerged in the 1970s in response to the alienation of people from their environments. It asked a simple but revolutionary question: What if we lived in a way that truly honored the land we’re on?
The answers became more sophisticated over time. Today’s bioregional hubs are a synthesis of decades of environmental wisdom, design thinking, and community practice. They are shaped by movements like permaculture, Indigenous sovereignty, and regenerative urbanism.
And now, they’re shaping the future of cities.
“I believe the future of regenerative living lies in bioregional hubs—where communities are rooted in local ecology, regenerative principles drive economies, and collaboration sparks innovation. Bioregional hubs reconnect communities with their local environments, offering place-based solutions to our most pressing global challenges.” – Tony Cho, Founder & CEO, Future of Cities
Why Bioregional Hubs Matter Now
As the climate crisis escalates and social trust erodes, we need solutions that are:
Localized: Tailored to the unique climate, culture, and challenges of a place
Resilient: Able to withstand ecological shocks and economic disruption
Inclusive: Designed by and for communities, not imposed on them
Scalable: Capable of being adapted across urban, peri-urban, and rural settings
This is not just environmentalism—it’s regenerative placemaking. It’s where real estate, resilience, and reverence for nature converge.
ChoZen: A Living Example in Florida
This vision comes alive at ChoZen Eco-Retreat, co-founded by Tony and Ximena Cho along Florida’s San Sebastian River. Situated within a richly biodiverse watershed and in collaboration with organizations like Wildpath, Path of the Panther, and the Florida Wildlife Corridor, ChoZen operates as a bioregional hub in action.
At ChoZen, every decision—from water management to community programming—is rooted in local ecology. The land is not a backdrop, but a collaborator. With offerings like eco-tours, wellness immersions, and regenerative development workshops, ChoZen is catalyzing a cultural shift—one that moves us from extraction to co-creation.
The heartbeat of this hub is the ChoZen Center for Regenerative Living (CCRL)—a nonprofit dedicated to conservation demonstration and community empowerment. CCRL connects changemakers, land stewards, artists, and youth in active regeneration, from habitat restoration to circular economic pilots.
It’s not about building back better. It’s about building forward—in harmony with nature, not in opposition to it.
Bioregional hubs like ChoZen are not outliers—they are prototypes for the next generation of human settlements. As cities continue to grow, we must ask ourselves: How do we grow with integrity, with care, and with creativity?
“The future of cities will be shaped by those who remember how to live in deep relationship with place.” – Tony Cho
It’s time to shift from monocultures to biodiverse neighborhoods. From concrete jungles to living ecologies. From top-down design to grassroots co-creation.
“Imagine a future where every development project replenishes the soil, purifies the water, cleans the air and revitalizes the community.”
Tony Cho, Founder of Future of Cities
What if our cities could heal the earth instead of harm it? What if the neighborhoods we build not only supported economic growth, but also nurtured culture, restored ecosystems, and strengthened human connection? This is the transformative nature of EcoSystems Thinking—a regenerative mindset that places nature, community, and culture at the heart of how we design and develop places.
At Future of Cities, this is more than a vision—it’s the lens through which we view our projects and helps to guide every decision we make.
A Living Framework: What Is EcoSystems Thinking?
At its core, EcoSystems Thinking is a recognition that we are not separate from nature, but deeply embedded within it. It invites us to see cities not just as collections of buildings and infrastructure, but as dynamic ecosystems—where the health of one part directly affects the whole.
As Future of Cities founder, Tony Cho explains:
“EcoSystems Thinking allows for the most efficient and well-informed decision-making capacity based on both highly evolved natural systems as well as human systems. If we can optimize for both, then we can achieve great things together.”
This mindset urges us to:
Reconsider where we build and with what materials—informed by nature.
Reflect on who we build with—rooted in community.
Redefine how we create value—guided by culture.
It’s a radical departure from extractive, linear models toward circular, reciprocal practices that regenerate life.
Nature as Teacher: The Blue + Greenprints
EcoSystems Thinking begins by honoring the intelligence of the natural world. In nature, there is no waste. Every organism, every cycle, every system plays a role in nourishing the whole. Through biomimicry, permaculture, indigenous knowledge, and regenerative design, we can begin to reimagine how urban development supports—not suppresses—these patterns.
“In natural ecosystems, nothing is wasted; every element serves a purpose, supporting the health and resilience of the whole.”
Tony Cho
Our Blue + Greenprints draw from this wisdom, aligning development with natural systems to create clean, safe, and resilient places where people and the planet thrive together.
EcoSystems Thinking comes to life through our Regenerative Placemaking framework—three interconnected pillars that ensure lasting impact.
1. Nature: Responsible Land & Ocean Stewardship
To design with nature is to respect the ecology of place. At Future of Cities, we partner with visionaries like Regenesis Institute, PlacemakingX, and The ReefLine to promote place-based solutions grounded in resilience, conservation, and restoration.
From integrating green infrastructure to sourcing sustainable materials, we prioritize the long-term vitality of the land and water.
2. Community: The People
Communities are ecosystems too. They flourish when relationships are nurtured and resources are shared. At the Phoenix Arts & Innovation District (PHXJAX), we’re cultivating a creative economy where artists, technologists, and residents collaborate to solve real challenges—like food access, affordable housing, and social justice—while celebrating the local heritage.
“By nurturing relationships through collaboration, resource-sharing, and care for nature, we create resilience and mutual benefit.” – Tony Cho
3. Culture: Currency & Circular Economies
Culture is more than art—it’s a regenerative force. When economic models reflect cultural values like stewardship, equity, and collaboration, prosperity becomes circular and inclusive.
At the Climate & Innovation HUB in Miami, we’re embedding circular business models into the DNA of entrepreneurship. Through zero-waste events, regenerative workshops, and a thriving network of innovators, the HUB embodies how culture and commerce can evolve together.
The Power of Cross-Pollination
To regenerate entire cities, we must think like ecosystems: diverse, interconnected, and mutually supportive. That’s why Future of Cities embraces Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Collective Impact Models to bring together government, industry, artists, activists, investors, and community members.
“No single entity or individual can achieve this alone… Collaboration across sectors, disciplines, and geographies is key.” – Tony Cho
Cross-pollination accelerates innovation, drives systems change, and ensures our solutions are inclusive and scalable.
Becoming an EcoSystems Thinker
EcoSystems Thinking isn’t just a framework—it’s a movement. It’s a call to rethink our place in the world, and to design in harmony with it.
Here’s how you can begin:
Adopt a holistic mindset: See the interconnection between the natural, human, and built environments. Shift from linear systems to circular ones that replenish.
Center collaboration: Build bridges across communities, sectors, and disciplines. Shared solutions amplify collective impact.
Integrate culture with economy: Let storytelling, shared values, and cultural wisdom shape sustainable markets and regenerative growth.
“It’s my belief that by co-creating a world where urban and natural systems thrive in harmony, we can leave a legacy.” – Tony Cho
The Future Is Regenerative
The future isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we build. As cities continue to grow and adapt, the question is not if we should change how we develop, but how quickly we can shift toward regeneration.
EcoSystems Thinking offers the tools. We must provide the will.
