The Human City Institute (HCi) is a Birmingham-based, independent and charitable research agency. Founded in 1997, 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.

A varied research programme is currently underway. Key topic examples are:

	Ten year retrospective of human city development.
	Social housing tenants, inequalities in wealth and asset-bases welfare.
	A modernisation agenda for 21st Century housing.
	Needs assessments of the Somali, Vietnamese and Chinese communities.
	Quality of community life and residential aspirations survey.
	Mapping of faith groups and social exclusion nationally, regionally and locally.
	Mapping health inequalities in Birmingham’s Asian Communities.
	Housing and mental health issues in Walsall.
	Development of our ‘No Community Left Behind/Face-to-Face’ strategy.
	Co-operative and mutual housing in England.

Welcome to our website, which has grown from a few pages in 2006 to incorporate an extensive range of reports, bulletins, and media articles, as well as keeping visitors more up-to-date. Influencing policy areas, such as housing, health and social investment, through innovative research that actively involves people and communities in positive ways to optimise impact on the viability and sustainability of our towns, cities and neighbourhoods is our watchword.