How do you build a neighbourhood of the future?

Inside the common-sense revolution happening in Birmingham—without a billionaire in sight!

Our Fair Future has teamed up with Antidote to bring you stories of people building a future that works, and they’re doing it in communities just like yours, showing what’s possible when we take charge together.

While tech billionaires fantasise about life on Mars and politicians continue to promise the Earth, one unlikely group in Birmingham called Civic Square is quietly getting on with building something far more important—a neighbourhood that actually works.

And unlike Silicon Valley’s space-age dreams, this one is firmly rooted in common sense.

Rather than waiting around for billionaires or government handouts, this young, forward-thinking community is rolling up its sleeves and tackling the biggest issues of our time, from the cost of living and climate change to broken economies and fading local pride.

By the people, for the people

The Birmingham community is building a future that’s not just sustainable, but liveable, affordable and—crucially—designed by the people who actually live there.

Among the many practical changes being made:

• Community power: Locals have reclaimed the public square, turning it into a vibrant hub for conversation, creativity, and decision-making. No ivory towers here, just everyday people shaping their world.

• A fairer economy: The community is trialling ways to build an economy that truly serves local needs, including a low-waste, circular model that cuts out excess and puts value back into the hands of the people.

• Climate action that works: Forget flashy greenwashing—they’re actually retrofitting homes to lower energy bills and reduce carbon emissions. It’s good for the planet and the wallet.

• Growing their own food and futures: They’re reviving local food systems, planting green infrastructure and putting young people at the heart of the action.

It’s all part of a refreshing return to localism, where neighbours work together to improve their own surroundings, not with grand gestures, but with real results.

A model for the nation?

And Birmingham’s experiment isn’t a one-off. In fact, similar community-driven projects are popping up across the UK, driven not by ideology, but by sheer necessity and good old-fashioned British resolve.

Even the United Nations has taken note, recognising the vital role of local action in building a better world.

So while the elites are gazing at the stars, this corner of Birmingham is proving that the future might just start with a conversation on your doorstep, a refurbished home, and a plot of land to grow your own food.

In a time of global uncertainty, this is the quiet revolution—and it’s already underway.