As we roll towards the end of the year, the Regen Melbourne team take a moment to pause and reflect. Here, they share what 2025 meant for them and their work. 

Leilah Taouk shares the early thinking behind a new PhD as part of the Swimmable Birrarung, asking: how do we measure a living, changing river in a way that honours its complexity? As we know, the act of measuring is not just technical; it is a way of knowing the river, of informing the decisions we make, and highlighting where interventions can have the greatest impact.

It’s been almost a decade since Kate Raworth published Doughnut Economics, permanently shifting the way we think about the purpose of our economy. As we mark the release of Doughnut 3.0, RM’s Systems Lab Director, Alison Whitten, reflects on how the Doughnut continues to shape Regen Melbourne’s work.

They’ve pulled it off in Chicago, Paris, Copenhagen and even Sydney. So how close is Melbourne to having a swimmable Birrarung? Regen Melbourne’s Swimmable Birrarung Lead Convener, Charity Mosienyane, shares how far we’ve come and what needs to happen next.

Retno Palupi reflects on their time with the Regen Melbourne team as an intern exploring what prevents us from swimming in the Birrarung today and the ways we can think differently about stormwater.

Foodprint Melbourne has launched a toolkit to support communities and organisations across the state plan for more resilient food systems. To mark its release, Nourished Neighbourhoods lead convenor, Dheepa Jeyapalan, sits down with the Foodprint Melbourne team to discuss their groundbreaking research and bold vision for a regenerative city.

Imagine if food was no longer a commodity, but the glue that connects our communities – sustaining the environment and promoting a healthy, thriving Melbourne. This is the vision of Regen Melbourne’s newly launched Nourished Neighbourhoods Earthshot. Lead convener, Dheepa Jeyapalan, shares the wildly ambitious thinking behind the project, and how it aims to transform Melbourne’s food systems.

Want to know where to get the best vanilla slice, injera or bowl of Pho in Melbourne? Give Dani Valent a call. A widely respected food and travel journalist, Dani has been telling Melbourne’s food stories for years, championing the diversity and complexity of our city via the people that grow our food and cook our meals. Sarah Smith sits down with Dani to talk community, food and her vision for a truly Nourished Neighbourhood.