New White Paper: Developmental Spaces – Cultural incubators for a time of transformation

A policy case for Developmental Spaces: collective settings for integrated inner development. Key to the inner-led system change and cultural renewal needed amid converging crises.

We’re happy to announce the release of a new white paper on Developmental Spaces. These are dedicated, growth-oriented spaces where communities engage in sustained, multi-domain inner development in the service of socio-cultural transformation. The paper outlines a rationale for inner development and the collective spaces that can support it. We set out the key characteristics of Developmental Spaces, and offer recommendations for field building and practical implementation.

Authored by Rufus Pollock, Boaz Feldman and Rosie Bell (Life Itself Sensemaking Studio). Developed through ongoing consultation with practitioners of inner-outer change and the broader Developmental Spaces community, we are also very grateful for financial support from LIONE and Life Itself.

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Summary

Inner foundations of outer crises

Today’s interconnected crises stem from the foundations of globalised culture: the reality assumptions, values, and perspectives that shape societies. Evidence is mounting that modern civilisation is breaking down in ways that can’t simply be repaired. Renewal is needed at a foundational level – a profound shift in deep-seated, collective worldview. Ways of being and seeing that we are hardly able to imagine from a modern cultural frame.

The missing infrastructure of inner growth

In other words, if we’re serious about system transformation, we must also be serious about inner transformation. However, modern materialist culture largely treats the inner world as irrelevant - leaving us with very few robust, trusted, research-based institutions dedicated to large-scale inner growth for the common good. The potential for human flourishing and renewal is vast; but our inherited maps are fragmented. We need scaleable, integrated approaches to inner transformation – sustained by dedicated communities that can weave new cultural stories together.

In response to this need, we offer the idea of Developmental Spaces: dedicated, growth-oriented spaces that nurture multi-domain inner development and act as cultural incubators for a new paradigm.

Integrating domains of inner growth

Building on synthesis supplied by Integral Theory, we sketch several interdependent domains of inner growth: Waking Up (spiritual awareness), Cognitive Development (complexity of thought), Growing Up (worldview shifts), Cleaning Up (trauma healing and shadow integration), and Showing Up (ethical action and engagement). Together, the maps and practices within these domains can equip individuals and communities with the qualities needed to become resilient amid breakdown, and flourish into new cultural shapes.

Five major domains of inner development using nomenclature from Integral Theory

Sustaining collective intention

For this kind of growth to take root, dedicated spaces are essential. Continuity, trust, and collective purpose require sustained practice, and safe community environments that support vulnerability and experimentation. Within these “islands of coherence,” transformative ways of being, thinking and acting can seed future ways of life.

Transformation at scale

This early step aims to help build an evidence-based movement for Developmental Spaces, provided widely enough to serve large segments of populations. The ultimate ambition is a replicable, scalable model with potential to influence the deepest orientation of societies towards a regenerative future - a ‘Second Renaissance’.

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Join us for the online launch event: Wednesday 5 November

On Wednesday 5 November, 5-6:30pm CET, we are offering a free webinar to present the Developmental Spaces white paper. ​

The event will feature: welcome & introductions; a presentation by the paper co-authors; comments by invited guests; discussion in breakout rooms; plenary discussion and Q&A. All interested in the field of inner development and inner-led social change are warmly welcome.

The following field experts will be speaking: Kam Bellamy (Springboard Foundation for Whole Person Learning); Marc Santolini (Learning Planet Institute); and Tomas Björkman (Ekskäret Foundation).

We look forward to seeing you there.

Watch the event recording

11 Nov 2025 update: For those of you who missed the event, here’s the recording of the presentation and guest speakers…

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