Burn to Bloom: Redesigning Resilience with Whole-System Thinking | Shawn Maestretti | TEDxAltadena

Core Argument - The document advocates for a shift from defending against nature to embracing living systems to build resilience against disasters like fires [9] - It emphasizes the importance of restoring connections between soil, water, and plants to create conditions that resist disaster and nurture life [9] - The document promotes "whole system design," permaculture, and regenerative practices as ways to work with the land rather than against it [15] Practical Application & Design Principles - The document highlights the effectiveness of landscaping in relationship with the land, including water harvesting, composting, and planting native and fire-adapted species [2] - It contrasts this approach with "zone zero defensible space policies" that advocate for stripping vegetation, arguing that healthy plants can protect homes [10] - The document suggests that everyday landscapes like parkways, medians, and front yards can become living classrooms to reconnect people with nature [17] Resilience & Community Impact - The document presents a personal story of a home lost to fire, but a garden that persisted, as evidence that resilience is possible and born from relationship [8] - It envisions reimagining vulnerable communities with interconnected healthy living soil that harvests water to support life [14] - The document frames resilience not as fireproofing, but as remembering how to live with the land, fostering a sense of belonging and community [12][18]