About Us

The Human City Institute (HCi) is a Birmingham-based, independent and charitable research agency. Founded in 1996, HCi grew to manage experimental ‘human neighbourhood' projects and hold ‘hearings' that explored what is meant by a ‘human city'. Today, HCI has gone back to its roots as a community-centred research agency exploring the dynamics of ‘human cities' and promoting solutions to urban problems. HCi is working with a range of partners to carry out research that illuminates the meaning of the ‘human city' and points the way towards policies that will make our urban communities more sustainable - environmentally and in terms of human happiness and community well-being.

The HUMAN CITY institute (HCi) is an independent research initiative and ‘think tank', which investigates social and economic exclusion and promotes solutions that seek to build more human cities and community services.

Established in 1996 by largely Christian academics at the University of Birmingham and West Hill College, HCi has a recognised history of research into ‘human city' issues, and management of community projects. Since 2004, HCi has reduced its management of projects and now concentrates on research solely. HCi is also no longer a Christian-based organisation but seeks to develop solutions to urban problems that apply to all faith and to none.

The event that eventually gave birth to HCi occurred in January 1995. Over 200 people who packed a meeting at Westhill College were enthused by the vision of Birmingham as a truly human city.

Over the next two years, a small cohort of people, largely from the Christian churches in the city, met together to put flesh on the bones of that vision. A Human City Bulletin (which in time went to over 4,000 people) was published, carrying stories of what Birmingham residents from all walks of life were doing to build a more human city in which to live and work. An innovative youth project called Generations Together was mounted. In this 40 young adults met 40 leading Birmingham figures on a one-to-one basis to share their hopes for the future of the city.

By 1997, the enthusiasm created by HCi led to the establishment of a registered charity. Members of the churches, who had been instrumental in getting the organisation up and running, readily welcomed the involvement of a much wider constituency including representatives of all the faith communities, and of the private and public sectors.