S1E1 - How might we connect 300,000 streets into a network of regenerative communities?
Regenerative Streets Podcast
300,000 Streets: A Network for Change
Shownotes
Aired: 17 November 2025
Guest: Nina Sharpe (Regen Melbourne)
S1E1 - 300,000 Streets: A Network for Change, Regenerative Streets Podcast © 2025 by Wayfinder Labs is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
Welcome to episode one of the Regenerative Streets Podcast! On this show we explore how streets can become catalysts for community and ecological renewal.
In this episode, host Laura Aston speaks with Nina Sharpe, lead convenor of 300,000 Streets, an Earthshot project by Regen Melbourne.Together, they tackle a bold question:
How might we connect 300,000 streets into a network of regenerative communities?
Nina shares the origins of the 300,000 Streets Earth shot and why streets are such powerful units of change. They can be hyperlocal microcosms of the city, places where biodiversity thrives and democratic participation flourishes.
If we map streets to the Doughnut Economics framework, many dimensions of planetary boundaries and social foundations land here, making them spaces of complexity and opportunity. Yet, barriers persist: top-down governance, siloed decision-making, rigid funding models, and the difficulty of measuring lived experience. These challenges aren’t insurmountable, but they require imagination, collaboration, and new ways of thinking about agency and participation.
Take action - The episode dives into experiments already underway, and actions you can take to start regenerating your street:
Flip Traditional Funding Models: Explore micro-grant platforms such as Hum, that enables communities to decide how funds are spent, creating a high-trust, continuous funding environment.
Activate Underutilised Public Land: Find and support projects mapping publicly owned land for biodiversity corridors and active transport pathways. These spaces can transform from “mown lawns” into ecological assets.
Strengthen Grassroots Convening: Join or create local convenor networks - safe spaces for peer-to-peer learning, shared visioning, and collaboration. An example shared in the episode is Melbourne CBD laneway convenors building a networked approach.
Champion Democratic Participation: Advocate for deeper community involvement in street-level decisions beyond surveys and voting. Push for forums that capture lived experience and build agency.
Share Your Street Story: Stories are a powerful measure of change. Host street parties, document local initiatives, and contribute narratives that shift the conversation from challenges to possibilities.
These initiatives show what’s possible when communities are empowered. Nina emphasizes that regeneration isn’t a single intervention; it’s a networked approach that values stories, relationships, and shared visions as much as infrastructure.
🎧 Read the full transcript
📩 Got a story to share? Connect with Nina via her substack, Street Library, or by email (Nina@regen.melbourne)
📚 Learn more :
- Doughnut economics and planetary boundaries
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This show is produced by Laura Aston (Wayfinder Labs) in connection with Better Streets and Regen Melbourne.
Music: Carefree Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License