What It Means to Share, Connect, and Grow

What happens when a network built around systems change pauses to reflect on its own evolution? The conversation revealed that regeneration isn’t a framework to adopt — it’s a way of being together.

One of the most resonant threads was the call to hold two truths at once: that housing solutions must be both scalable and grounded in place. “We have to hold the tension between scalable policy and the nuances on the ground,” said Peter Cohen of the Council of Community Housing Organizations. Many in the discussion acknowledged how easily top-down strategies can overpower local knowledge, and how essential it is for agencies, advocates and builders to stay in dialogue about what communities actually need.

That balance between systems and context mirrored a deeper question raised throughout the conversation: What does it mean to design for life — not just units? Deb Hailu of Healthy Black Families brought the point home, reflecting on South Berkeley’s development work. “If the community decides they want 100 units in a small space,” she said, “we have to ask what that means for light, air and dignity. These have to be nonnegotiables up front so people can actually thrive.” The statement captured the essence of regenerative practice: honoring the quality of human experience as a measure of success, not just density or cost.

Several participants spoke about bringing the Creed to life by connecting it to clear pathways for change. “This Creed needs to be connected to a theory of change,” noted Garlynn Woodsong of the PLACE Initiative. The idea wasn’t to codify another set of rules, but to anchor shared values in structures that can withstand the inertia of existing systems. Amélie Besson of AEA Consulting added that language matters in this process — not just the ideas but their accessibility. “This version felt more actionable and inclusive,” she said. “Now it needs to be translated.”

Translation, in this sense, wasn’t just about words. It was about shifting power — about re-centering community voices early in the development process instead of treating participation as an afterthought. “Include the community from the beginning,” urged Óscar Quiroz-Medrano of Somos Mayfair. “Don’t ask for input when the clock has already run out.” His reflection pointed to one of the most persistent barriers in the field: time. Genuine collaboration takes longer, but it also yields outcomes that endure.

Others explored what practicing regeneration could look like inside the network itself. Florentine Christian of the PLACE Initiative suggested a “mastermind” model — small, project-based circles where developers, organizers and designers could troubleshoot live challenges together. Build It Green Executive Director Jeremy Madsen built on that idea: “Let’s bring the Creed to ground level by testing it around real projects.” Together, these comments gestured toward a collective desire to move from conversation to co-creation — to make the network a place where learning happens through doing.

Throughout the reflections, one theme returned again and again: alignment. Not uniformity, but coherence — between what we say and how we act, between what we build and what it nurtures. Build It Green Senior Program Manager Devani Santos described that mindset clearly: “We don’t believe in problems. We believe in potential. The task is to align people, place and nature so that potential becomes visible and actionable.”

As Build It Green Senior Advisor Odin Zackman has often noted, regeneration begins not with new strategies but with how we choose to show up — with one another and with the places we serve. Regeneration, in the end, is less about adding something new and more about remembering how things connect: people to land, projects to purpose, vision to practice. The work continues, not as a program or a plan, but as a shared commitment to build in ways that allow life to thrive.

On the Horizon

Looking ahead, the network will continue creating more spaces for connection and collaboration. Build It Green Senior Advisor Odin Zackman shared that quarterly virtual meetings will remain a steady rhythm for learning and exchange, complemented by the formation of a Network Learning and Advisory Group that will meet more frequently to help shape direction and practice. The team is also exploring a member directory and interactive map to make it easier for partners to find one another, share resources and spark collaboration across regions. These efforts reflect a simple aim: to strengthen the connective tissue of the network so that regenerative ideas can move further, faster and together.

Join the California Housing System Innovators Network to take part in future conversations about regenerative housing and community development. For more information email [email protected]