lifebased

Lifebased is a term used to describe approaches and frameworks that center life—human, animal, and ecological systems—in design, policy, and research. It emphasizes sustaining, repairing, and enhancing living systems.

Originating in sustainability and ethics discourse in the early 21st century, lifebased is used across disciplines to contrast with technology-centric or profit-driven frameworks. It is not a fixed methodology, but a guiding principle.

In urban planning and architecture, lifebased often aligns with biophilic and regenerative design, prioritizing living ecosystems, green infrastructure, and adaptive spaces. In product development, it favors materials and processes with minimal harm to living systems. In healthcare and community planning, it emphasizes vitality, well-being, and resilience.

Common methods include systems thinking, life-centric indicators, ecological resilience metrics, regenerative cycles, and governance approaches that involve diverse stakeholders. Evaluation often combines lifecycle assessment with ecological and social indicators to measure impacts on living systems.

Critics say the term can be vague and lacks standardized metrics, and that it may blur distinctions with related concepts or be used as marketing. Measuring cross-scale effects remains challenging, and practical implementation can vary significantly by context.

Related concepts include biophilic design, regenerative design, life cycle assessment, sustainable development, and ecological economics. Lifebased remains a developing framework, with ongoing refinement of definitions, metrics, and best practices in academia and industry.