Participatory building: Civic Square wins planning for co-build community hub in Birmingham

Planning permission has been granted for Civic Square’s Neighbourhood Public Square with plans to transform a 2,773 sqm post-industrial site into a community theatre, library of things, workspace, makerspace, materials lab and print studio. The Square’s programming will explore what climate resilience looks like now and in the future.

The industrial site, known as the Tubeworks, is located within the 43-acre Port Loop masterplan which has the ambition to deliver 3,000 homes by developers Places for People, Urban Splash, Birmingham City Council and the Canal & River Trust. The nearby Stables building within the Tubeworks site also has plans to be refurbished into Abuelos arts-based accommodation by Hood Future Studios.

Conceived as a demonstrator project, the Neighbourhood Public Square will be a centre for public learning and collaboration with a focus on participatory development and construction as a means of empowering people to act on climate change and to foster community connection. Civic Square seeks to co-build the Square while imparting skills, social capital and supporting a just transition for people in the area. 

Plans include spaces for the community to come together, such as a cafe, garden and kitchen for cooking classes and breakfast clubs – described as civic infrastructure. The site will also act as a ‘classroom’ to teach skills in regenerative construction including biomaterials, retrofit, rainwater capture and energy generation.

“It will integrate a multitude of learning typologies into every stage of development — from design and procurement through construction and long-term stewardship — including but not limited to employment pathways, formal qualifications, and peer-to-peer learning,” reads the project’s design and access statement.

“The intention is that the site generates meaningful work and capability as it is built, and continues to cultivate skills, confidence and collective agency once operational — strengthening neighbourhood resilience in the face of climate, social and ecological challenges.”

Civic Square acquired the Tubeworks site in 2024, and in lieu of ‘developer’, describe their role as project stewards of the project, “ensuring the design aligns with the social, civic and ecological needs of the neighbourhood while simultaneously demonstrating pathways for a wider built environment transition.”