● What Are Living Places

Across towns and villages everywhere, people care deeply about the places they live.

They organise gatherings, revive shared spaces, grow food, tell stories, support neighbours, and imagine new futures for their communities.

When this energy is nurtured and connected, something powerful begins to happen.

Places come alive. We call these Living Places.

What is a Living Place?

A Living Place is a community where people are actively shaping the future of where they live.

In Living Places:

  • people feel they have a role in shaping what happens next

  • relationships between neighbours, groups and organisations are strong

  • local culture, stories and creativity are visible and celebrated

  • land and ecosystems are cared for

  • communities organise around shared challenges and opportunities

  • power and resources flow more locally

Living Places are not created by a single organisation or project. They emerge when communities have the relationships, confidence and opportunities to organise and act together.

  • Across the UK and around the world, many people are working toward similar ideas.

    Some call this community-led regeneration.

    Others talk about places in transition or local transformation.

    At This Living Place we use the term Living Places to describe communities where this energy is taking root.

    Our role is to help these places grow stronger and connect with others doing similar work.

  • The challenges communities face today are complex.

    Climate change, economic inequality, social disconnection and the loss of local infrastructure cannot be solved by single organisations acting alone.

    But when communities are connected, organised and confident, they are far better able to respond to change and shape their future.

    Living Places are the foundation of that kind of future.

  • This Living Place works to create and connect Living Places.

    We organise locally in Somerset and Dorset while connecting people and communities across the South West and nationally through the Living Places Network.

    Our work focuses on helping communities build the conditions that allow Living Places to grow.