BIDs can find fresh purpose as leaders of climate conscious communities

What does it take to bring communities together around the climate emergency? Our Camden Inspire festival represented an opportunity to show that shared space and an open invitation to participate can help us to reimagine what a Business Improvement District (BID) can be.

For our BIDs, Inspire went beyond a public event. It was a testbed where business networks are leveraged not simply for growth but for social and environmental benefit. This evolution of the BID model marks a subtle but important shift from managing high streets to curating neighbourhoods. By bringing together businesses, residents and grassroots organisations around shared climate goals, we showed how cross-sector partnerships can build both community value and urban resilience.

Part of the London Design Festival, the event transformed two meanwhile-use buildings on Buck Street (home to Camden Collective) into a day-long gathering of circular design and collaboration. Organised by Camden Town Unlimited and Euston Town BIDs, the festival offered a mix of making, discussion and performance under three headings: Make, Do and Discuss. Behind these simple headings lay a complex ambition to position the BIDs not just as business advocates but as conveners of climate-conscious communities.

The structure of the programme made climate issues easy to understand. Panels on food waste, longevity and sustainable design sat alongside practical workshops that turned complex ideas into hands-on experiences. It was really important to us that visitors didn’t just learn about circularity, they took part themselves. By keeping sessions affordable or free, Inspire also widened access, turning specialist knowledge into a shared civic resource.

The event brought together a number of local organisations, artists and residents to explore reuse and zero waste. Workshops ranged from fashion upcycling, electrical repair and kintsugi, to storytelling and plant rescue. Partners such as The British Library, Roundhouse, Wayward Architecture and HvH Arts took part, while the UnBroken Exhibition showcased salvaged furniture transformed by designers including Pearson Lloyd, Francesco Feliziani and 2LG Studio. It offered a glimpse into how design can activate dialogue, agency and belonging.

At the heart of the festival was a physical hub, in the form of the Camden Collective, that embodies the principle of adaptive reuse. These coworking spaces occupy existing buildings; hosting start-ups, artists and community projects. Meanwhile use can be used to anchor local identity and it becomes clear that temporary spaces can generate lasting impact.