How do we live in the 21st century — together?
It can feel like we’re living in two centuries at once.
One shaped by individualism, hyper-consumption and polarisation — where our identities are defined more by what we buy, post, or defend online than by how we show up in our neighbourhoods.
And another that’s quietly re-emerging: shaped by mutuality, creativity, and interdependence — where people start food clubs in church halls, take part in citizens’ assemblies, or simply check in on a neighbour when it matters most.
The tension between these worlds plays out in our institutions, our streets — and our selves.
So how do we learn to live differently? Not just for ourselves, but for each other?
🌍 What kind of citizen are you — and how does it shift?
When I first wrote this, I sketched out a typology of citizens — not to box people in, but to help us understand how we relate to change, power and one another:
- Egocentric citizens act from self-interest — sometimes out of choice, sometimes from having no other option.
- Altruistic citizens give their time and energy to support others, often without being asked.
- Ideological citizens are driven by deep commitments — to climate justice, housing, democracy, faith.
- Democratic citizens believe in the collective good, and take part in formal processes to shape it.
- Apathetic citizens feel society has given up on them, so they give up on it.
- Alienated citizens want to do something, but feel blocked at every turn.
These aren’t fixed. We all move between them depending on context, opportunity, trauma, or joy. Sometimes we’re generous. Sometimes we’re just getting by.
The question is: how do we create the conditions where more people feel seen, valued and supported to act?
🤝 Building new bonds of social solidarity
During moments of crisis — a recession, a pandemic, a climate emergency — there’s a risk we retreat into safety. But there’s also a real chance to reach out and build new forms of connection.
We’ve seen this in practice:
- In Birmingham, Civic Square is building neighbourhood-scale commons where people can co-create shared infrastructure rooted in care, learning and justice.
- In Oldham, The Collective Impact Agency is supporting residents and council teams to experiment with new ways of growing trust and power locally.
- In Amsterdam, the City Doughnut model is helping connect social foundations (like education and housing) with planetary boundaries, shifting what ‘thriving’ means for everyone.
- In Norfolk, the New Citizenship Project supported the county council to move from treating people as service users to citizens — designing budget engagement around values and trade-offs, not just service cuts.
Closer to home, we’re experimenting with our Kitchen Table approach — inviting residents to share ideas in WhatsApp groups, discuss them face-to-face, and access micro-funding to bring them to life. It’s designed for people who don’t see themselves as “leaders” or “activists”, but who care deeply about their place.
What unites all these examples? They build bridging social capital — creating new links across class, age, ethnicity, belief — rather than just relying on bonding social capital within tight-knit groups.
💡 What this means for how we work
If you’re working in public service, innovation or civic change, here are a few lessons that might help:
1. Design for interdependence, not independence
We’re not autonomous individuals. Our wellbeing is shaped by housing, income, relationships, safety. That’s why Plurality Lab argues for designing systems that recognise complexity, not control it.
2. Recognise emotion as intelligence
People aren’t irrational — we’re human. Anger, pride, shame and hope all shape how we engage. Collective Psychology Project explores how we can move from fight-or-flight politics to deeper emotional connection.
3. Move from consultation to contribution
People want to help shape the world — but on their terms. That’s why organisations like The Alternative UK and are prototyping democratic spaces where people contribute, not just respond.
4. Celebrate small signals of change
Not every citizen will join a protest or run a project. But they might grow food with neighbours, help a child get to school, or create space for someone to speak. That’s civic action too.
🌱 What kind of future are we growing?
To live well in the 21st century, we need more than services and strategies. We need story, solidarity and shared meaning.
We need to acknowledge that loneliness isn’t just about isolation — it’s about feeling disposable. That inequality isn’t just about money — it’s about who gets to belong.
So the question isn’t just how do we live? but how do we live together?
And that starts — as it always has — with a conversation.
🧭 Over to you
Which type of citizen do you relate to — today? What makes you feel connected to the places you live and the people around you? What do you wish was different?
If you’re building civic or social infrastructure, let’s swap ideas. And if you’re just trying to make a bit more sense of the world — I’d love to hear what’s helping you through.
Because none of us have the answers. But we might find better questions — if we ask them together.
