Peterborough
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| Location | Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52° 34' 21.28" N, 0° 14' 33.84" W |
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Peterborough.
Sustainability on show at Co-op Group’s newest store, thenews.coop (Aug 21, 2025) - ‘A game-changer’: the 9,000 acre project reclaiming the Fens for nature, theguardian.com (Nov 04, 2023)
- Pumping hot: inside Britain’s first heat pump village, positive.news (Jul 12, 2023)
- ‘Robot’ buses could bring more environmental benefits than public transport with drivers, theconversation.com (Nov 20, 2025)
- How heat from old coal mines became a source of local pride in this northern English town – new study, theconversation.com (Nov 20, 2025)
- Beth Mead: ‘If we don’t adapt to climate change, football becomes a privilege, not a right‘, theguardian.com (Nov 19, 2025)
- Sharing soil, sweat and tears, ffcc.co.uk (Oct 30, 2025) — Are farm partnerships the future? We talk to the team behind Abunda to find out
- Renewable energy investment should come from defence budgets, say retired military leaders, theguardian.com (Oct 23, 2025) — Former European officers say spending on low-carbon power would make nations more resilient to threats from potential aggressors
- Green to Grey, How Europe is squandering the little nature it has left, greentogrey.eu (Oct 01, 2025)
- The Cambodian women rising up to protect their communal land, positive.news (Nov 20, 2025)
- Bees, Community, and Shared Futures, grassecon.substack.com (Nov 20, 2025)
- ‘Robot’ buses could bring more environmental benefits than public transport with drivers, theconversation.com (Nov 20, 2025)
Networks and sustainability initiatives
In 1994, Peterborough was designated one of four environment cities in the UK and began working to become the country's acknowledged environment capital. Peterborough Environment City Trust, an independent charity, was set up at the same time to work towards this goal, delivering projects promoting healthier and sustainable living in the city. The council and regional development agency have taken advice on regeneration issues from a number of internationally recognised experts, including Benjamin Barber (formerly an adviser to President Bill Clinton), Jan Gustav Strandenaes (United Nations adviser on environmental issues) and Patama Roorakwit (a Thai "community architect").
Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Northern Ireland community action, Haringey community action, West Midlands community action / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
UK and international events
UK events
Nov 10 - 16, 2025 (Mon - Sun) — Living Wage Week, livingwage.org.uk- Nov 13, 2025 (Thu) — Kindness Day UK, Nov 13 annually, aiming to increase the value of kindness in society as well as increase the amount of kind acts that take place, making kindness a greater part in our daily life, kindnessuk.com
- Nov 16 - 22, 2025 (Sun - Sat) — Road Safety Week, brake.org.uk
- Nov 22 - 30, 2025 (Sat - Sun) — National Tree Week, The Tree Council's annual tree celebration. People across the country planting thousands of trees to mark the start of the winter tree planting season. "Trees and hedgerows are some of the most powerful tools we have in the fight against climate change.", treecouncil.org.uk
Global or international events
- Nov 05, 2025 (Wed) — Media Liberation Day, Change the Media, Change the Future, mediarevolution.org
- Nov 06, 2025 (Thu) — Outdoor Classroom Day, celebrating and inspiring outdoor learning and play, outdoorclassroomday.com
- Nov 13, 2025 (Thu) — World Kindness Day, Nov 13, annually, highlighting good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness for good which binds us, randomactsofkindness.org
- Nov 16, 2025 (Sun) — International Day for Tolerance, Nov 16 each year, fostering respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human, unesco.org
- Nov 19, 2025 (Wed) — International Men's Day, Nov 19, annually
- Nov 28 & 29, 2025 — Buy Nothing Day, en.wikipedia.org
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Peterborough video
Community resources
Sustainable transport activism
The Green Wheel is an 80-kilometre (50 mi) network of cycleways, footpaths, and bridleways in Peterborough, England. Designed as part of a sustainable transport system for the city, it was created as a project by the Millennium Commission.
The name Green Wheel alludes to the circular nature of the major part of the path, which encircles Peterborough, with cycle route "spokes" leading from this perimeter, which passes through several peripheral settlements around Peterborough, into the city centre, allowing easy transport around the network, much of which required no new construction, instead using or improving already existing cycle routes or roads. The only major new construction for the project was a curved cycle bridge over the River Nene near Whittlesey, from where the path can be accessed northwards towards Flag Fen, into the city centre, or southwards towards the Ortons. The network is fully signposted. Additionally, three circular pipe tunnels were constructed near Etton village to allow the Green Wheel route to pass underneath the A15.
The project also encourages recreational use and has created a sculpture trail, which provides functional, landscape artworks along the Green Wheel route and a ‘Living Landmarks’ project involving the local community in the creation of local landscape features such as mini woodlands, ponds and hedgerows.
The project cost £11 million and was 50% funded by the National Lottery through the Millennium Commission and has also won many awards, including a RIBA award for Architecture in 2003.
Peterborough news archive
- The Green Backyard celebrates after receiving £12,500 for new solar power system for Peterborough site, October 26, 2015...peterboroughtoday.co.uk
- Thousands of pounds on offer in new Peterborough recycling scheme, October 22, 2015...peterboroughtoday.co.uk
- Lessons from Peterborough: how to get, use and present a city's data, June 17, 2014...The Guardian
- Do unto others: on the appropriation of citizen empowerment, Kevin Harris,Neighbourhoods March 19, 2010.
About Peterborough
Past events
- August 13, 2016, Peterborough Environment City Trust Green Festival
- September 19 - 20, 2015, Harvest Festival www.metalculture.com
Peterborough ( PEE-tər-bər-ə, -burr-ə) is a cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England.
In 2020 planning permission was granted for a new university, ARU Peterborough, which will be based on Bishops Road, a five minute walk from the City Centre. It will be an employment focused university run by Anglia Ruskin University with four faculties: Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Creative and Digital Arts and Sciences; Agriculture, Environment and Sustainability; Health and Education. The new university is expected to take its first cohort of approximately 2,000 students by 2022, rising to 12,500 by 2028. ARU Peterborough is not expected to receive its degree awarding powers before 2030 when a review will take place to determine its future as part of Anglia Ruskin University or whether it should become its own entity.
Near you
Cambridge community action - Cambridgeshire community action
| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Phil Green (2014–2025). "Community action/Peterborough". Appropedia. Retrieved November 28, 2025. |