The Bristol Approach is a way of working, along with a set of resources, that enable groups – from councils and businesses, to education and community organisations – to co-design solutions for everyday issues.
The process is people and issue-led, viewing neighbourhoods as places of abundance, where so many resources, skills, and knowledge already exist. Instead of reinventing the wheel, it encourages:
• working together to use what’s already available
• connecting with the right people, to co-create things that address what’s missing
• ensuring that new technologies, tools, and systems work for the common good
It was developed by Knowle West Media Centre alongside Ideas for Change, and Bristol City Council. We believe that all people, whatever their background, should be able to imagine, design,and build the future they want to see – for themselves, others, and their environment.
Many of the tools are open source and collaboratively cared for; the idea of ‘the Commons’ runs throughout and anyone can use the Bristol Approach’s six-step framework, its set of resources, and contribute to how it evolves.
