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 1997 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.

Origins
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.

Delivery
David Clark was appointed as HCi’s first Director, and three administrative staff were later employed plus a number of Human Neighbourhood Project workers. Funding for these posts came from a wide range of grants, but largely from the Community Fund of the National Lottery Charities Board and Government departments.

From 1997 to 2000, HCi’s main endeavours were its Bulletin, its Future Papers, its public Hearings, its Human City Sites programme, and its Human Neighbourhood Project (operating in Bradford and Swindon as well as Birmingham).

From 2000 to 2002, the Human Neighbourhood Project came very much to the fore. A small Human Schools Project and a project involving the police, both focussing on Birmingham, were also undertaken. However, other features of the earlier phases were not developed any further.

HCi Today
After 2004, HCi declined because of funding issues and the Human Neighbourhood Project was closed down. After a period of reappraisal, HCi was re-launched in 2006 in partnership with Birmingham’s Trident Housing Association as a primarily research-based agency.

HCi is now building upon its ten year legacy and unique contribution to revitalization of the debate about the nature of our communities and proposes ways in which they can be made more ‘human’. Today, HCi is an independent and charitable research agency with a thematic programme that covers investigations into exclusion and disadvantage, promotion of practical solutions to alleviate urban poverty and helping communities to build better futures for themselves.