Connected to Place: Regenerating Nature, Community, and Local Economies Through Systems Change
Thursday, August 6, 3:00–4:00 PM ET
Join Matt Biggar, Ph.D., for a lively discussion of his new book, Connected to Place: Regenerating Nature, Community, and Local Economies Through Systems Change, and the role of place-based education and other catalysts in systems change.
Biggar discusses place-based systems change as a real-world solution to our growing environmental and social challenges. At the core of our biggest problems lies a deeper crisis of disconnectedness. Dominant economic forces continually push us away from nature, community, and each other. Place-based systems offer an alternative model and are gaining traction in places around the world, both urban and rural.
In Connected to Place, Biggar presents a vision that reorients people's daily lives around their neighborhoods, cities, and regions. Through place-based living, we can create lasting, regenerative change that addresses our biggest problems while boosting the quality of everyday life.
Most importantly, Biggar shows us how we can get there with a practical guide to systems change that draws on real world examples from his research and practice. By reframing our approach to social progress, he outlines the way toward rebuilding connection with nature and local community and revitalizing local and regional economies. Join us as Biggar shares how this is happening and how you can be a part of it here in the Bay Area.
Speaker
Matt Biggar, Ph.D., is a place-based strategy consultant, systems thinker, speaker, writer, and university lecturer. He is the Principal and Founder of Connected to Place, a strategy consulting firm that supports place-based collaboratives, nonprofits, government agencies, and schools with facilitation, strategic planning, and community engagement. Matt earned his Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University, where his research involved behavioral science, education, transportation, and collective impact. He is the author of Connected to Place: Regenerating Nature, Community, and Local Economies through Systems Change (Cornell University Press, 2025) and several published articles in academic journals, the Stanford Social Innovation Review, and other outlets. Prior to his consulting and research, Matt worked for 17 years in the public school system as a teacher, principal, and district associate superintendent.
Connect with Matt
- Email: mbiggar@connectedtoplace.com
- Connected to Place Website
- Matt Biggar LinkedIn
- Connected to Place Book
- Book Excerpt in Stanford Innovation Review
This webinar is brought to you by ee360+.
ee360+ Leadership and Training Collaborative: From Inspiration to Impact
ee360+ is an ambitious multi-year initiative that connects, trains, and promotes innovative leaders dedicated to using the power of education to create a more healthy and sustainable future for everyone, everywhere. Led by NAAEE, ee360+ is made possible through funding and support from U.S. EPA and twenty-five partner organizations representing universities and nonprofits across the country, as well as five federal agencies. Through this partnership, ee360+ brings together more than five decades of expertise to grow and strengthen the environmental education field. Visit our ee360+ page to learn more.
