What does it mean for a city and its people to thrive? For Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation (NPC), it means seeing the city as a living system, where social, economic, and environmental well-being are interconnected, and taking collective action to create a future where both people and planet flourish.

The Living Systems Program was created to extend the principles of Doughnut Economics and Living Systems beyond City Hall and into the community at large.

A Pioneering Commitment

Nanaimo is leading the way. In 2020, the City Council adopted Doughnut Economics as its guiding framework, making Nanaimo the first municipality in North America to do so.

This commitment is embedded in the City Plan: Nanaimo ReImagined—built on five interconnected goals: Green, Connected, Healthy, Empowered, and Prosperous, along with an award-winning Monitoring Strategy. Now, in the next phase, NPC has created two initiatives used to identify and prioritize key projects that show clear, trackable progress.

Introducing the Living Systems Program

The Living Systems Program is a dynamic umbrella initiative that brings together two interconnected streams of work:

• The Compass Initiative
  • A collaborative effort, led by the Mayor’s Leaders’ Table, this initiative will guide the creation of a Nanaimo Accord and a portfolio of prioritized projects, defining the city’s shared direction and the path to achieve it.
    

• The Doughnut Engagement & Activation Series
  • Bringing together institutions, organizations, and residents, this series will champion 21st-century economics in Nanaimo, using the Doughnut Economics framework as a shared reference point and guide for action.

Together, these streams are designed to advance systems-level coordination, adaptive learning, and shared prosperity across Nanaimo. They combine one-time activities with ongoing, connective efforts to build momentum, alignment, and innovation across the city.

A Paradigm Shift

Nanaimo stands at a pivotal moment. The choices we make today will determine how Nanaimo thrives tomorrow. It is a fundamental shift: from chasing endless growth for its own sake to cultivating resilience, inclusion, regeneration, and shared prosperity.

An Invitation to Thrive

The Living Systems Program invites us all to co-create a city that is home to thriving people, in a thriving place. By working together, we can build the conditions for a Nanaimo that prospers not just now, but for generations to come.

If you would like to learn more about the Living Systems approach and the Doughnut Economics framework, join us for Global Doughnut Days in Nanaimo (October 14–17), with events for business leaders, non-profit organizations, and the public. Together, we will raise awareness, inspire participation, and catalyze action toward a thriving future.

Words By Anni Thesen