Cities are not machines with separate departments. They are living systems where mobility, housing, climate, health and local economies continually shape one another.

See relationships, not silos

Systems mapping helps teams see where interventions reinforce one another and where unintended consequences emerge. It turns complexity into a shared picture that decision-makers, communities and delivery partners can act on together.

From mapping systems to shaping futures

This systems perspective can also open up new ways for cities to understand where they stand — and where they want to go. Re:Studio explores how cities can use systems thinking and Doughnut Economics to connect social needs, ecological boundaries and local opportunities.

Doughnut Mapping offers a powerful starting point: creating a shared picture of a city’s social and ecological realities, identifying tensions and opportunities, and turning them into pathways for action.

Amsterdam was the first city to develop a City Doughnut, using the approach to inform its circular strategy and explore what it means for a city to thrive within planetary boundaries.

For cities, this opens an exciting question: What would it mean to create a Doughnut Portrait of the city — and use it as a shared map for a regenerative future?