The HUMAN CITY institute (HCi) is an independent and charitable ‘think tank’ with its origins in Birmingham, which undertakes research into ‘human city’ issues. This involves identifying barriers to the creation of more ‘human’ cities and neighbourhoods generally but with specific regard to the nature of social and economic exclusion and how they are interwoven with faith and BME issues.

HCi also seeks to map how community cohesion can be improved through enhanced, localised service delivery and via social investment and enterprise approaches. In short, HCi investigates exclusion and promotes solutions to augment the futures of the most disadvantaged groups in our complex and diverse cities.

Research Themes
Originally a faith-based initiative created in 1997 which sought to develop experimental ‘human neighbourhoods’, HCi today is a secular research institute, although maintaining some links to its previous research interests. HCI is currently undertaking research under six themes:

	Creating & Planning the Human City ~ covering the specific policy areas of housing, planning, urban regeneration, health and social care.
	Human City Index ~ capturing key data to compare the extent and nature of ‘human cities’ in England and the role of ‘place’.
	Faith, Ethnicity, Social Exclusion & Community ~ exploring the interrelationships between faith, ethnicity, social exclusion, community and neighbourhood.
	Social Investment, Enterprise and Innovation ~ quantifying how innovative social investment and enterprises impact on disadvantaged communities.
	Chronicling Human City Projects & Approaches ~ recording and promoting innovative examples of human neighbourhood development projects.
	Sustainable Human Environments ~ exploring the nature of sustainability and environment in the ‘human city’.

Research Programme Delivery
HCi delivers its research programme via a network of associate researchers and in partnership with other research organisations, including the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, University of Birmingham, and M-E-L (Measurement-Evaluation-Learning) Research Ltd.