Beyond the National: Cities, Bioregions and the Planetary

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Hosted by Politics for Tomorrow on 26 February 2025.

If national borders are increasingly arbitrary in the face of planetary interdependencies, how can cities and bioregions emerge as the real agents of governance for a shared future?

As systemic interdependencies intensify, traditional nation-state governance struggles to address global challenges. This session explores how cities and bioregions — as both local realities and planetary interfaces — can redefine sovereignty and governance. The discussion will examine bioregions as relational governance structures and cities as catalysts for systemic shifts, asking how they can act as stewards of planetary commons and engage with emerging institutions and systemic shifts.

The event featured leading thinkers such as:

Leon Seefeld, Strategic Lead at Dark Matter Capital Systems, specializing in capital systems, bioregional finance, and governance innovation for regenerative futures.

Amollo Ambole, development and innovation expert associated with top African universities, including the @UniverstiyofNairobi. Leads strategic partnerships, knowledge integration and urban research, particularly in Nairobi, and has worked with teams across the planet to realise development change in Africa.

Salvador Rueda, Director of the Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona; urban ecologist and strategic planner, with a background in biological sciences, psychology, environmental engineering, and energy management; he has pioneered integrated approaches to urban sustainability.

Toban Shadlyn, strategic designer and educator specializing in transdisciplinary collaboration and systemic transitions. Formerly a founding member and design lead at the Center for Complexity at @rhodeislandschoolofdesign and currently the Co-director of the Master of Strategic Design in Complexity at @elisava School of Design and Engineering in Barcelona, Spain.

Indy Johar MBE, Executive Director at Dark Matter Labs, Board Member at BLOXHUB, and Non Executive Director at WikiHouse Foundation; Professor at RMIT University, with a focus on planetary civics, infrastructure for collective intelligence, and regenerative governance.

Marta Fernández, Executive Director at @rmiteuropemedia and RMIT Vice-Chancellor Innovation Professor. Leads @rmit's European hub, strengthening international partnerships, research impact, and global student experiences, with expertise in urban transformation and systems innovation.

Laurene Vaughan, Distinguished professor and researcher at RMIT Europe, focusing on design-led research, interdisciplinary practice, and urban futures. Her work bridges academia and industry, exploring how design can shape civic and planetary governance.

Caroline Paulick-Thiel, Executive Director of Politics for Tomorrow and a Strategic Designer with a background in Public Policy. Part of Berlin’s Smart City Team and the advisory board of the capital’s sustainability strategy. She specializes in democratic transformation and participatory governance.

Blasius Walch, researcher and strategist at Politics for Tomorrow, with expertise in systems change, governance design, and sustainable policy innovation. His work focuses on facilitating public sector transformation and advancing civic-led governance models.