Coalition For Impact Logo

Mapping East Birmingham

As part of the Coalition for Impact (C4I) programme, community organisations across East Birmingham worked with Loconomy and Social Life to map local social and economic assets. The mapping focused on three development quarters in the East Birmingham Inclusive Growth Strategy – the Green Innovation Quarter, Sports Quarter and Knowledge Quarter – together with a separate map of the women’s economy across East Birmingham. More than 500 residents contributed through community workshops and events, helping to build a shared picture of local strengths, gaps and opportunities for inclusive growth.

Illustrative map of social and economic assets across East Birmingham highlighting key quarters and neighbourhoods.

Download the maps, keys and narratives

You can explore the mapping in more detail by downloading the full maps, accompanying keys, and narrative summaries for each quarter and for the women’s economy work.

Why mapping mattered

The mapping process brought together knowledge from thirteen community hub organisations and their networks. By working with large printed maps and digital tools in workshops, participants identified local assets such as community centres, parks, faith venues, support services, informal meeting places and businesses, as well as barriers like busy roads, poor transport and missing connections between neighbourhoods.

For many groups, seeing their neighbourhoods on a single map helped them notice patterns that are easy to miss in day-to-day work. Partners used the maps to spot clusters of activity, areas with few services, opportunities for collaboration and ideas for new projects. The maps also became a useful resource for conversations with Birmingham City Council and other institutions about future investment and planning.

The women’s economy

Alongside the three geographic quarters, a group of women-led organisations created a map of the women’s economy across East Birmingham. This focused on how women access work, training, childcare, support and safe spaces, and highlighted both the pressures facing women and the potential for new women-led economic activity. The map and key inform the wider C4I work on Investable Propositions and the Women’s Economy report.

Together, these maps provide a visual record of community assets and ambitions across East Birmingham and form an important part of the legacy of the Coalition for Impact programme.

Loconomy (Community Benefit Society), St Paul’s Centre, 405B, Belchers Lane, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, B9 5SY