A Knowledge Commons for Regenerating Our Land, Water, and Local Communities
Concept Paper — Draft 1 Jonathan Cloud / Center for Regenerative Community Solutions / March 2026 The Problem We Are Actually Trying to Solve The Genesee-Finger Lakes region has what most regions lack: functioning ecological monitoring systems, a mature land trust network, active agricultural extension services, a robust local food economy, and municipalities that have […]
Here is a site masterplan–level permaculture zoning map tailored explicitly to the Westfall Road proposal. The design is grounded in the programmatic structure of the concept document (watershed spine, canopy commons, regenerative landscape, access network), but translated it into a permaculture spatial logic. It is presented in three layers: Conceptual zoning map (what goes where […]
A Living Systems Commons for the Town of Brighton, NY Site: Town-owned 27-acre parcel on Westfall Road Municipality: Brighton Purpose: Transform a municipally owned parcel into a high-visibility ecological demonstration landscape that integrates watershed protection, climate resilience, education, and community wellbeing — while serving as a replicable model for suburban regeneration. 1. Why This Site […]
Below is a concise, decision-useful environmental and social profile for the Town of Brighton (Monroe County), New York. (Note: “Brighton” is sometimes used for different geographies in datasets; the sources cited here are explicitly for Brighton town, Monroe County.) (Census.gov) Brighton at a glance Type / context: Inner-ring suburb immediately southeast of the City of […]
Looking at https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-more-265-million-water-quality-and-climate-resiliency-projects, compare this with the previous year’s and evaluate how we’re doing in water quality in the state. Here is a comparative evaluation of New York State’s water quality and resiliency investment efforts based on the January 15, 2026 press announcement you cited from the Governor’s website and available information from the previous […]
(Click to enlarge) Seeing the Genesee–Finger Lakes as a Living Bioregion To look at the Genesee Finger Lakes Bioregion through a bioregional lens is to stop seeing it as a set of counties, cities, or tourist destinations and begin seeing it as a living system—shaped by ice and water, animated by human cultures, altered by […]
Building bioregional intelligence is the practice of developing a “terrain of consciousness”—a collective ability for communities to see, think, and act as part of their local ecological systems. It shifts focus from arbitrary political borders to natural boundaries like watersheds, soil types, and climate patterns to organize human activity regeneratively. Core Components of Bioregional Intelligence […]
1) What it should mean for GFL to be a “node” in a planetary bioregional network Practically, a node is not a branding claim; it is a reproducible operating system for place-based intelligence that can interoperate with other bioregions. For the Genesee Finger Lakes (GFL), I would define “node” as having four things working […]