Designing Regenerative Cities Through Intercultural Practice
Why Intercultural Urbanism?
The Lo-TEK Office for Intercultural Urbanism design studio advancing regenerative cities through the lens of Indigenous science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). We approach urban challenges with a mindset of reciprocity—centering ancestral knowledge systems to shape culturally grounded, climate-resilient futures. Rather than controlling ecosystem, we engage them as living collaborators. This is not sustainability as usual. This is a new kind of urbanism—where form follows flux.
Colonial urbanism continues to drive ecological breakdown and cultural erasure. Intercultural urbanism responds by weaving together diverse ways of knowing—from Indigenous epistemologies to local environmental expertise. By acknowledging that cities have always been shaped by more-than-human relationships, we reimagine urbanism as an evolving, living system rooted in land, language, and kinship.
Our work draws from TEK not as a nostalgic reference—but as a dynamic, adaptive knowledge system. We recognize cities as eco-cultural systems that are both place-based and globally interconnected. TEKnology emerges at this intersection: a relational practice where Indigenous design principles guide the regeneration of place, policy, and practice.
A Practice Rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Our Offerings
Lo—TEK Office for Intercultural Urbanism operates across four key areas of practice:
01
Research & Documentation
We map, document, and visualize TEK systems across bioregions—revealing spatial strategies embedded in Indigenous land and water-based technologies.
03
Collaborative Design
We work with institutions, governments, and communities to embed TEKnological thinking into infrastructure, planning, and climate adaptation strategies.
02
Consultancy & Partnerships
We co-create frameworks and design strategies with Indigenous practitioners and allied experts to implement culturally and ecologically rooted projects.
04
Engagement & Activation
Through workshops, lectures, and immersive experiences, we translate TEKnology for contemporary audiences, fostering policy change and deeper understanding.
The 10 Principles of TEKnological Urbanism
Our design methodology is grounded in the Lo—TEK Series and the "10 Principles of TEKnological Urbanism" developed by studio co-lead Julia Watson, author of Lo—TEK, Design by Radical Indigenism and Lo–TEK Water, A Fieldguide for TEKnologists. These principles, outlined below, offer a framework for translating ancestral technologies into climate-resilient urban design—serving as tools for practitioners, educators, and policymakers.
1. Spirituality & Cultural Continuity embeds sacred stories, rituals, and land-based relationships into the form of the city. 2. Collective Governance & Co-Design ensures urban planning is co-created with Indigenous communities through ethical, reciprocal partnerships. 3. Commons-Based Resource Management treats air, land, and water as shared responsibilities rather than private assets. 4. Ancestral Technologies as Innovation revives traditional ecological systems as regenerative urban infrastructure. 5. Indigenous Multispecies Urbanism designs cities for coexistence with all life forms and local ecologies. 6. Water-Centered Urban Planning shapes cities through the rhythms and flows of water. 7. Living Systems Over Concrete replaces static infrastructure with nature-based systems that restore ecological continuity. 8. Bioclimatic & Water-Based Architecture uses local, water-responsive materials to support climate balance and regeneration. 9. Regenerative Production Systems structure urban economies around circular, low-impact resource flows. 10. Water, Energy & Waste Regeneration transforms urban waste and water into clean energy and ecological renewal.
Studio Structure & Advisory Circle
The Lo—TEK Office is a living studio—an intercultural and transdisciplinary practice co-led by Indigenous and non-Indigenous designers, researchers, and strategists. Our structure reflects a commitment to reciprocity, relational accountability, and long-term stewardship of land, knowledge, and communities.
We are supported by an Advisory Circle of knowledge holders, allies, and guides whose lived expertise shapes our direction and ensures cultural and ecological integrity across every collaboration.