Innovate to Regenerate:
Birmingham Smart Living
Clive Dutton
Director of Planning and Regeneration
Birmingham City Council
United Kingdom

Birmingham UK
• Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution
• Pioneers include James Watt.

Unprecedented growth until:
• 1980’s world recession
• Meltdown of manufacturing
• More job losses than Wales and Scotland
combined – 450,000

Birmingham - now
• City Region of 4.5 million
• 37% under 25 - ‘the youngest
city in Europe’
• 510,000 people employed in the city
• 3 universities – 78,840 students
• Largest retail destination and financial centre outside London
• Largest exhibition and conference centre in UK.

then now

then
now

Birmingham - Brindleyplace today

Eastside

New City Park

The Cube

V Building

Vertical Theme Park

Baskerville House

New Selly Oak Centre

Largest New Hospital in UK

Rotunda

Birmingham - Bullring

Transformation

Largest City Centre Masterplan in Europe
2000 acres - £17 billion

NEW
NEW
NEW
NEW STREET

Birmingham’s
5 New Eco Towns

Deprivation spread

City Council
land ownership

In the new Birmingham
NEIGHBOURHOOD

The New Birmingham House

Longbridge

Edgbaston Reservoir and Icknield Port loop

What are the components of
“Birmingham Smart Living”
• The overall aim of the concept is to support communities to leave a
zero environmental footprint on the planet.
• To develop homes which are “intelligent “ – smart places and smart
homes – which help knowledge development through communication
- and are designed and operate sustainably

Therefore, the Birmingham home will
be;
• Be better embedded within its community.
• Truly sustainable
• Almost zero energy consumption
• Replicated easily
• An intelligent house with excellent virtual communications
• An electric house - with a plug in electric vehicle
• Designed for recycling/waste management
• Construction in renewable/recycled materials – made in
Birmingham

So what is Unique?
We want to undertake an integrated approach –
through renewal and revitalization of existing urban
areas - across all aspects of a zero footprint/intelligent
home and smart living

What will we need to look at?
There will be a number of workstreams to help develop the concept and
product further. The workstream areas will include new innovative
• Building and planning regulations
• Technologies and their applications
• Demonstrator developments – prototype to marketed product
• Multi Utilities Service Companies options
• Business case to demonstrate value to people, developers, councils and
the environment

Potential Partners
• Regional Development Agency
• National Industrial Symbiosis Programme
• West Midlands Center of Construction Excellence
• The City’s three Universities – expertise in key areas on
energy, materials, waste management, transport
• Science City and Research Council resources