• Bristol's forthcoming solar-powered film studio will be driven by the biggest star of them all, The Daily Alternative (Oct 31, 2022)
  • What if the power and resources to build our neighbourhoods were in community hands?, medium.com/reimagining-economic-possibilities (Oct 27, 2022)
  • Developing towns in Coalville, building houses in Grimsby, generating solar power in Bristol - these CANs are vibrant and concrete, The Daily Alternative (Jul 02, 2022) — This week, we have a cascade of what we call CANs, cosmo-local initiatives, coming into our radar. It’s great just to chart their vitality.
  • The tallest wind-turbine in England, built by a community network full of agency, in one of Bristol's most deprived areas, The Daily Alternative (Apr 23, 2022)
  • ‘The case of Bristol Airport exposes the gaping flaw in National Planning Guidance', Bristol247.com (Feb 11, 2022)

Read more

This page is the beginnings of a portal for Bristol community action. It focuses mainly on Bristol community action topics. Separate pages cover Bristol community action resources, and Bristol news

Bristol ( (listen)) is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in South West England.The wider Bristol Built-up Area is the eleventh most populous urban area in the United Kingdom.

Iron Age hillforts and Roman villas were built near the confluence of the rivers Frome and Avon. Around the beginning of the 11th century, the settlement was known as Brycgstow (Old English: 'the place at the bridge'). Bristol received a royal charter in 1155 and was historically divided between Gloucestershire and Somerset until 1373 when it became a county corporate. From the 13th to the 18th century, Bristol was among the top three English cities, after London, in tax receipts.

Bristol was ranked in 2008 as the UK's most sustainable city by the environmental charity Forum for the Future, and in 2015 it received the European Green Capital Award. The Bristol Green Capital initiative is managed by a partnership supported by the City Council. Bristol is home to the environmental charities Sustrans, the Soil Association, and the Centre for Sustainable Energy. The city provides a range of recycling services for household waste.

In 2019, Bristol became the first city to completely ban diesel cars, effective from 2021. Diesel cars will be banned from the central area of the city between 7am and 3pm every day. W

Networks and sustainability initiatives[edit | edit source]

Many Neighbourhoods One City - Knowle West
Authors: Knowle West Media Centre, Mar 12, 2021

Regular events[edit | edit source]

Bristol Repair Cafe first Saturday monthly in Fishponds

Community resources[edit | edit source]

  • Stokes Croft Land Trust, "Stokes Croft is one of the most independent and iconic areas of Bristol. Now it is time to secure the future of our community's land… for the community. " added 16:35, 10 November 2021 (UTC)
  • Bristol Community Land Trust, link checked 16:35, 10 November 2021 (UTC)

Climate action[edit | edit source]

Extinction Rebellion Bristol, added 18:30, 14 February 2020 (UTC)

Council action on climate change, Bristol City Council - Future Bristol Low Carbon 2050 - Explore the Scenarios

Biodiversity[edit | edit source]

  • One City Ecological Emergency Strategy, Sep 2020, bristolonecity.com, added 11:12, 16 April 2021 (UTC)
  • Friends of the Avon New Cut group of local people promoting greater understanding and appreciation of the Cut, its history, wildlife and essential role in the city.

Environment quality[edit | edit source]

Car Free Bristol: An Introduction
Authors: Possible, Mar 15, 2021

Resources

ClairCity, Eu project about air pollution and CO2 emissions in cities, putting the power in the hands of residents to determine the best local solutions.

Campaigns

Open spaces[edit | edit source]

Looking across Castle Park in central Bristol, from a tethered passenger balloon at 500 feet. The channeled River Avon (called the Floating Harbour) is on the left. Attribution: Adrian Pingstone

The Avon Green Belt, also known as the Bristol and Bath Green Belt (or Bath and Bristol Green Belt), is a non-statutory green belt environmental and planning policy that regulates urban expansion and development in the countryside surrounding the cities of Bristol and Bath in the South West region of England. It covers areas in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Mendip, and Wiltshire. Essentially, the function of the green belt is to limit urban sprawl and maintain the open character of areas around the Bristol and Bath built up areas, and nearby towns and villages. The policy is implemented by local planning authorities on the basis of guidance from central government.

Trees, woodland and forest[edit | edit source]

The Converging World

Community involvement[edit | edit source]

The Bristol Democracy Project, Getting People Involved In Decision Making In Bristol

Arts, sport and culture[edit | edit source]

More video: Make Sunday Special Bristol City Council - Come and enjoy a car free Bristol City Centre, June 2013 YouTube

  • Bordeaux, France since 1947
  • Hannover, Germany since 1947, the first post-war twinning of British and German cities
Other twinnings include:

Communities online[edit | edit source]

  • The Knowledge, Knowle West's community website, added 17:51, 18 November 2022 (UTC)

Community and voluntary action[edit | edit source]

Voscur

Community currencies activism[edit | edit source]

Bristol pound

Community energy[edit | edit source]

Bristol Energy Co-operative - Bristol Green Doors, domestic green refurbishment & retrofitting - Demand Energy Equality, Bristol-based energy justice project that seeks to empower and power low income households - Bristol Smart Energy City Collaboration - Easton Community Energy Group, Laying a brand new grid with David and Damon in Bristol 1010uk.org (no date found) - Owen Square Community Energy, cooperative member-based local energy supply company jointly operated by Easton Community Centre, local energy group Easton Energy Group and Bristol-based microgrid developer CEPRO

Funding

Bristol Community Energy Fund

Networks

Bristol Energy Network, umbrella organisation for all community energy groups in Bristol and the surrounding area

Community safety[edit | edit source]

Bristol City of Sanctuary - Safer Bristol

Cycling activism[edit | edit source]

Maps

Despite being hilly, Bristol is one of the prominent cycling cities of England and home to the national cycle campaigning group Sustrans. It has a number of urban cycle routes, as well as links to National Cycle Network routes to Bath and London, to Gloucester and Wales, and to the south-western peninsula of England. In 2011, 7.7% of journeys to work were by bicycle.

Bristol was awarded £22.8 million in 2011 to double its cycling population after being awarded "cycling city" status. The program lead to new cycle routes, more cycle parking, better signage and training and events.

Routes in Bristol include the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, Concorde Way between the centre and north Bristol, Festival Way between the centre and the town of Nailsea, Malago and Filwood Greenways to the south of Bristol and Frome Valley Greenway to the north-east of Bristol. Improvements to The Centre have created new cycle paths to better connect radial routes together.

Ethical consumerism[edit | edit source]

Bristol Fairtrade - Bristol Green Hosting - Good Bristol - Whose Responsibility?

Food activism[edit | edit source]

more video: A Good Food Plan For Bristol -

Bristol Food Union, added 16:40, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

Bristol Junk Food on facebook - 91 Ways, using the power of food to bring people together - Allotments and gardens, information from Bristol City Council - Bristol Food Network - Bristol Food Policy Council - Bristol Local Food Directory - Edible futures - Grow Wilder, Avon Wildlife Trust - Avon Organic Group - Incredible Edible Bristol - Sims Hill Shared Harvest, community supported agriculture scheme - Windmill Hill City Farm - St Werburghs City Farm External links in this section checked 14:38, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

Food securty[edit | edit source]

Localism[edit | edit source]

Bristol Independents campaign

Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle[edit | edit source]

Bristol Computer Reuse - Bristol Wood Recycling Project, a not for profit social enterprise, dependent on volunteers as well as paid staff, and part of the National Community Wood Recycling Project W - Children's Scrapstore - Recycling and waste, information from Bristol City Council

Social inclusion[edit | edit source]

The Runnymede Trust found in 2017 that Bristol "ranked 7th out of the 348 districts of England & Wales (1=worst) on the Index of Multiple Inequality." In terms of employment, the report found that "ethnic minorities are disadvantaged compared to white British people nationally, but this is to a greater extent in Bristol, particularly for black groups." Black people in Bristol experience the 3rd highest level of educational inequality in England and Wales.

Sustainable transport activism[edit | edit source]

A Good Transport Plan for Bristol 2016

Public transport in Bristol - Car Clubs - Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways - Transport in Bristol - Waters and rivers, information from Bristol City Council

Urban sustainability[edit | edit source]

Car Free Bristol: An Introduction
Authors: Possible, Mar 15, 2021

Redcliffe Neighbourhood Development Forum, added 15:57, 23 May 2020 (UTC)

Changing Bristol streets, Sustrans; Applications: May-June 2015

Living Heart for Bristol

See also[edit | edit source]

Back to top

External links[edit | edit source]

  • Wikipedia:
Bristol, Environment in Bristol, Sustrans: British charity promoting sustainable transport with headquarters in Bristol

References[edit | edit source]

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