William Morrish and Brett Sechrest
Founders, Invested Public Network
Washington and New York

In recent years, communities across the United States have embarked on ambitious efforts to modernize their infrastructure—expanding renewable energy through rooftop solar, implementing water recycling systems, and developing interconnected energy and communication grids to bolster resilience. Driven by federal policies and enticing incentives, local leaders and residents poured hope and resources into these projects, viewing them as vital steps toward a sustainable and reliable future. These initiatives not only protected the environment but also fueled local economic growth and innovation.
However, the landscape has shifted unexpectedly. With the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” federal funding for these forward-looking projects has abruptly halted. This development threatens to undo years of progress, stripping communities of vital support and forcing them to restart efforts amidst a climate of uncertainty.

Questions emerge: What happens to ongoing projects? Where will the capital come from to complete or expand these systems? Are the investments already made at risk of being lost? The potential repercussions are serious—without federal backing, many community-led initiatives face delays, financial shortfalls, or even abandonment.

Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
This is precisely the moment for bold action. Enter Invested Public (IvP)—an innovative framework committed to transforming challenges into new opportunities. IvP focuses on re-bundling ongoing projects into scalable initiatives and pioneering innovative funding models capable of attracting diverse sources of investment. Our goal is to establish regenerative funding streams that sustain materials, labor, and community engagement—ensuring these projects can thrive independently of uncertain federal support.
More than just preserving current efforts, IvP aims to foster an inclusive platform for community wealth creation. By promoting regenerative systems that continuously deliver local returns and value, we can build a legacy of local, community-powered reliance systems—shaping the terms through which health, wealth, and safety are delivered locally. The future is no longer a distant possibility; it is within reach—and it belongs to invested publics eager to shape it.

From Modernity’s Second Nature to a Regenerative Digital Age
In a time marked by climate crises, pervasive digital connectivity, and socio-ecological upheavals, reimagining how we design and govern our urban spaces is imperative. Visionaries like William Morrish and Brett Sechrest challenge us to move beyond passive resilience—merely bouncing back from shocks—and toward active regeneration rooted in redefined concepts of ecology, citizenship, and public space.
Drawing on thinkers such as William Cronon, Tim Morton, Ruha Benjamin, and Rob Van Kranenberg, Morrish/Sechrest advocates for a radical shift. His ideas emphasize dismantling outdated ecological paradigms (“second nature”) and embracing hybrid realities—what he calls “next nature”—where digital twins and augmented environments enable collective ecological stewardship and civic participation beyond physical confines.

Navigating Complexity with Obliquity and Heterogeneity
Achieving complex societal goals demands flexible, adaptive strategies—what the economist Sir John Kay termed “obliquity.” Success is often the result of nuanced exploration rather than direct pursuit. Applied to governance and community development, this principle suggests embracing continuous learning, iterative adjustments, and indirect pathways to progress.
This aligns with the concept out forward buy the economic historian John Wallis of “democracy as churning heterogeneity,” where diverse voices and interests continuously shape and reshape societal norms. Societies that effectively manage this turbulence foster new relational ties, indigenous innovation, and genuine inclusion. Embedding these principles into our institutions creates a reliance infrastructure capable of evolving with societal needs and ecological succession—an essential foundation for local regenerative future.

Regenerative Prosperity Over Sustainability
The Invested Public champions “regenerative prosperity”—a term emphasizing the interconnectedness of ecological, social, and economic systems. Unlike the often static concept of sustainable development, regenerative prosperity calls for restoring and enhancing the vitality of these systems through innovative, holistic approaches.
For example, regenerative agriculture illustrates how prosperity can be achieved without resource depletion, fostering soil health, biodiversity, and social equity simultaneously. This paradigm shift demands systemic changes in policies and individual behaviors—prioritizing resilience, fairness, and long-term well-being over mere growth.

Redefining Public Space and Citizenship
Finally, Morrish and Sechrest’s concept of the “Invested Public™” invites communities to become active agents rather than passive beneficiaries. By developing local infrastructure, digital tools for civic participation, and circulating resources—both physical and virtual—communities can build resilient, regenerative ecosystems rooted in shared responsibility.
Fostering such invested publics involves deepening local knowledge, respecting existing practices, and nurturing localized relationships. As public spaces increasingly evolve into digital and hybrid realms—enabled by technologies like digital twins—active participation becomes crucial. As Abdu Maliq Simone suggests, public space is an infrastructure of possibility—shaped by collective public collaboration and local imagination.

The Path Forward
The federal rollback on community infrastructure funding is a setback, but not a terminal one. By embracing innovative models of investment, civic engagement, and ecological stewardship, communities can forge their own paths forward. The shift from a reliance on uncertain federal support to resilient, regenerative local systems embodies the very essence of adaptive, oblique approaches to societal progress.
In reimagining our collective future, we must recognize that true resilience arises not from static systems but from dynamic, inclusive, and regenerative networks—built and sustained by invested publics willing to collaborate, innovate, and lead. The challenge is significant, but so is the opportunity: to transform recent setbacks into catalysts for a more reliant, equitable, and thriving community landscape.

The future is within our grasp—if we commit to the principles of obliquity, heterogeneity, and regenerative prosperity. By doing so, we can turn obstacles into stepping stones, ensuring that our communities are not just surviving but actively thriving—reimagining urban spaces, redefining civic engagement, and co-creating a resilient legacy for generations to come.

Together, we have the power to shape a future where community-led innovation is not an exception, but the norm—and where the promise of a regenerative, participatory society becomes a reality.