Trends for 2025 and how local councils can apply them

https://www.trendwatching.com/2025-trend-report-highlights?hsCtaTracking=9ed9861d-f863-4bb7-8678-9bc7f58e8553%7Cc3cf1b81-77b4-40ad-adf4-366686a71d1e

Working in change or even public services more broadly feels like holding a map of a world that doesn’t exist anymore.

We’re dealing with big questions:

• How do we redesign systems that work for people?
• How do we lead through a world that’s moving faster than we can plan?
• And most importantly: how do we not just keep up, but lead with purpose?

That’s where 2025’s emerging trends come in. Not as flashy buzzwords to stick in presentations but as practical signals of change — blueprints we can apply today to shape tomorrow.

I’ve been reading the TrendWatching 2025 Highlights Report and it offers a powerful reminder: the organisations that will thrive in 2025 are the ones that act now. They’re the ones experimenting, getting stuck in, and putting people, communities, and the planet at the centre of their plans.

Here are four trends that stood out, why they matter for those of us whether you’re working in local government or change teams in other sectors.

Here are four trends from the report — and how I think we working in local government can apply them to create meaningful change.

1. LoopLife: Designing Systems That Keep Giving

The age of extractive systems is over. LoopLife is about designing circular systems that regenerate, reuse, and build resilience, keeping resources in motion for as long as possible. People want sustainable solutions that make life easier — not harder.

Where this is already happening:

• Hubbub’s Community Fridge Network in the UK cuts food waste while fostering local connections — a simple circular solution.
• In Singapore, the “Circular Economy Package” incentivises businesses to design waste-free systems, from packaging to repairable tech.
• Adur & Worthing’s asset management strategy aims to integrate align regeneration with carbon reduction.

Steps people can take:

1. Audit your systems. Where are you losing value — whether it’s time, energy, materials, or ideas? Map the flow and find opportunities to close the loop.
2. Embed circular design. Whether you’re launching a new service, procurement process, or policy — design out waste and build in reuse.
3. Co-create with communities. Invite local partners to test solutions, like shared spaces, repair hubs, or circular services that benefit everyone.

Takeaway: Organisations that embrace circularity reduce costs, deliver impact, and earn trust. Where can you design systems that keep giving?

2. Wellness Workplaces: work that works for people

Trendwatching’s report shows that people want workplaces that prioritise balance, mental health, and purpose. In 2025, thriving teams will drive thriving organisations.

Examples of this trend in action:

• Atom Bank’s four-day workweek proves you can boost productivity and reduce burnout by rethinking hours.
• New Zealand’s “Work Well” strategy encourages public and private organisations to redesign workspaces with mental health at the centre.
• Adur & Worthing’s organisational redesign is breaking silos and embedding resilience, creating better ways of working.

Steps people can take:

1. Rethink productivity. Could you test flexible hours, or smarter workload-sharing?
2. Build safe spaces. Train managers to foster psychological safety and open dialogue about well-being.
3. Measure more than output. Track human-centred outcomes — like staff satisfaction, purpose, and retention — alongside traditional KPIs.

Takeaway: Productivity grows when people thrive. Redesign work so balance and impact go hand in hand.

3. Empowered Realities: create space for people to act

People want solutions that give them control and confidence in uncertain times. Empowered Realities is about creating tools, platforms, and systems that give people real agency — not just passive participation.

Where this is leading the way:

• Barcelona’s “Decidim” platform enables citizens to co-create public policy — proving participation can be digital, inclusive, and impactful.
• Monzo Bank’s financial tools empower users to make confident choices with clear savings goals, budgets, and real-time tracking.
• Adur & Worthing’s Supporting Communities to Make a Difference programme will enable people tackling the cost of living to grow their work into new economic models.

How to put this trend into practice:

1. Reframe your role. Move from “service provider” to “enabler” — how can you equip people to shape change?
2. Create participation tools. Whether it’s participatory digital platforms, feedback systems, or open data — give people the tools to take ownership.
3. Prototype small wins. Test participatory processes or tools on a smaller scale and grow them as trust builds.

Takeaway: Participation isn’t rhetoric — it’s about tools, platforms, and opportunities. What could you enable for your people?

4. Unfiltered Value: honest stories and openness

In a world of spin, people crave authenticity. Trendwatching’s Unfiltered Value trend is about owning your challenges, sharing progress openly, and proving your values through action — not just words.

Real examples of transparency:

• Tony’s Chocolonely builds trust with radical transparency on their ethical supply chains, even when challenges arise.
• Patagonia tells a clear story of purpose and progress, embedding environmental action into every part of their business.
• Adur & Worthing share open updates on their financial challenges — being honest about trade-offs while delivering savings and change.

How to build unfiltered value:

1. Share your ‘why’. Be clear about the purpose behind your work — and share the messy realities of progress.
2. Own the hard stuff. Whether it’s trade-offs, setbacks, or uncertainties, honesty builds trust and stronger relationships.
3. Align action with values. Make sure your policies, strategies, and services match your commitments — at every step.

Takeaway: Authenticity is about showing up honestly. Where can you bring people into your journey?

How can you apply the trends — where can you start?

Here’s the challenge:

1. Pick one trend that resonates — whether it’s circular systems, empowered tools, well-being, or radical transparency.
2. Start small. Launch a pilot, test a new process, or invite your teams to reimagine an existing system.
3. Share your learning. Progress, challenges, wins — every step forward inspires others to move too.

So, where will you start? Drop me a comment, share your ideas, or let’s learn together.