UNIVERSITY FOR THE EARTH

Loess Plateau

China

Around 3,000 years ago, farmers settled on the fertile Loess Plateau in western China, a region about the size of France. By the 7th century, the rich soils were feeding about one quarter of the Chinese population. But intense pressure on the land eroded the soil. By the 20th century, desertification had condemned the remaining population to poverty. “It was a desperate place,” says Juergen Voegele, an agricultural economist and engineer at the World Bank who first visited the region in the mid-1980s. But that would soon change.

Voegele returned in the 1990s to lead a major 12-year World Bank project to help restore dirt to healthy soils on a vast scale. “This was absolute desert. A few years later the whole thing came back,” he says. “We saw birds, butterflies, insects – the whole ecosystem began to recover. Even after hundreds of years of complete devastation, the seeds were still in the ground and things began to happen very quickly. We did not expect that.”

Fazenda Bulcao

Brazil

In the early 2000s, the famous Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado and his wife, Lélia Wanick, decided to revive the greenery of their piece of land — the 600-hectare Bulcão farm in Aimorés, Minas Gerais. Over 18 years, they planted more than 2 million tree seedlings, with the help of employees and volunteers, in the region located in the Rio Doce Valley. Native trees from the Atlantic Forest were used. With this, they created Instituo Terra, a non-profit organization that collaborates with the reintegration of native species in the region.

Sebastião Salgado (Photo: Facebook/Reproduction)
The result, as can be seen in the images, is impressive! Around 172 species of birds returned to the site, as well as 33 species of mammals and more than 293 species of plants. And it didn't stop there: 15 species of reptiles and the same number of amphibians were also seen. In other words, a complete ecosystem!

Cheonggyecheon

Seoul, South Korea

The downtown was composed of too small plots and narrow roads to accommodate the new industries. Before the restoration, Cheonggyecheon was a place of deterioration and pollution. There were vague aspirations for change, without specific action plans. Since it had been used as a motorway for 50 years, people perceived Cheonggyecheon as a place for cars. Envisioning a place of nature and waterway in such a condition and realizing it required literally 'thinking-out-of-box' approach. By replacing cars and artificial structures with the nature, creating a human-oriented landscape in the city and equipping the area with historical values and identity, the Cheonggyecheon restoration project became a turning point in shaping the city of Seoul. It also triggered a remarkable shift in citizens' consciousness. When it comes to the controversial issue of the extent to which historical remains be restored, the municipality took the phased approach rather than restoring everything at once, since that requires excessive social costs in the complicated situation of downtown.

Old Highway

Utrecht, Netherlands

Utrecht, the fourth-largest city in the Netherlands, is known for its medieval architecture in the city center and its tree-lined canals. It hasn't always been that way. The pic from the '80s shows busy streets on either side of a highway running between them. Everything just looks gray and dreary.
The old highway, which cut through the city, created a barrier and disrupted the flow of the historic district. This situation led to traffic congestion, noise pollution, and a diminished sense of historical continuity within the city. Utrecht made the decision to restore the city's historical character and improve the quality of life for the residents, and it appears that's exactly what the city accomplished. Pedestrians and cyclists can freely traverse the once-divided areas, enjoying the picturesque views along the restored moat. The reduction in traffic congestion and noise pollution has also enhanced the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. The project stands as a testament to the city's commitment to preserving its past and embracing a greener future

Earth Cells established in places that are most in need

Promising projects accelerated and incubated

Jobs generated worldwide in the regenerative economy

People actively engaged through regenerative
education / events / exhibitions