Article by Shanna Koppejan
We have witnessed the rapid rise of minimalism in recent years, possibly driven by the
climate crisis, globalisation, and the simplification of buying more with less, among other factors. It has become part of conversation and debate, a movement many know about. Advocates for this movement are Emmy-nominated Netflix stars and New York Times–bestselling authors Joshua Fields Millburn, Ryan Nicodemus, and T.K. Coleman, known collectively as The Minimalists.
They show their followers how to keep only the things in their lives that add value. All to create a more fulfilling and happy life. They not only focus on anti-consumerism, but on friendships, community, and knowledge consumption. The Minimalist Podcast might not be new to you as it is one of the most popular podcasts in the world, but when discussing minimalism, I, therefore, also almost feel obliged to talk about it;)
In this review, I specifically want to address episode 280 on environmental minimalism. In this episode, the hosts speak to author and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and a big part of the episode was about incentivising good behaviour. They mention that only a small percentage of people will change their behaviour through morale. This means that telling people what they ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ do is ineffective. I recognise this myself as well. Even though I did change my behaviour due to my adjusted morale, and I firmly tell myself to take the train and buy as little plastic as possible, I can still fall short. For instance, I'll fly if train travel exceeds my budget or buy plastic-packaged items when alternatives aren't available in the store I frequently visit. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. mentions the importance of incentivising good behaviour. For example, by making laws that make companies pay for pollution. This will incentivise them to minimalize packaging and other pollution because it is more profitable. This shows the importance of policies and laws, also in our field, to minimalize negative environmental impacts.
“Incentivise people to do well by doing good” – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
This episode also made me realise that as landscape architects and spatial planners, we play a significant role in creating such incentives. Think about our bike lanes which incentivise taking the bike instead of the car onto the busy roads. This way we can promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. However, also smaller interventions, such as signage and the incorporation of waste bins, affect the behaviour of humans. Littering is in many places not seen as socially acceptable anymore, because of such interventions. That means that there is a social incentive, one of social approval. Furthermore, signage can also include praise to stimulate good behaviour. My point is that there are many ways to incentivise people to do good and there are countless other examples. So, I hope after reading this article, that you will see the power of design and policy-making to positively influence how people interact with and care for their environment and each other. As a planner or designer, creating green environments is not your only tool for sustainability. You have the power to influence many people’s daily behaviour!
All in all, this episode was quite inspiring to me. It prompted me to reflect on my assumptions as you have read in the previous paragraph. I always find it valuable to critically examine my fields of interest. I do want to mention that I expected a more general introduction to the implications of environmental minimalism. How it combines minimalist principles with a more sustainable lifestyle. The episode definitely took a different perspective than I expected, but I also appreciated how quickly they got to such a valuable in-depth topic.
I can also really recommend some of their other episodes. The podcast often offers a refreshing view on things that many of us deal with daily. The hosts, for example, also speak about the importance of friendships and community. If you want to know more about how we can manifest this through design, I cannot recommend a book more than Leslie Kern’s Feminist City. Claiming Space in a Man-Made World.
I want to end with the Minimalists’ own motto: ‘Love people, use things’. I believe our landscapes have the potential to become spaces (of things) where we can come together, love each other, and feel enthusiastic about the world.
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