About Neighbourhoods of the Future
An alliance for local action, treating neighbourhoods as sites of knowhow and collaborative change
The Alliance for Local Action
An unbranded alliance treating neighbourhoods as sites of knowhow and action
Neighbourhoods of the Future (NoTF) is an informal, unbranded alliance that acts as enabling infrastructure. The Nudge Unit brings siloed actors together, lowering the cost of collaboration and making mutual value visible.
Ideas Already Exist
Built on the principle that ideas for local action already exist. Communities know what they need.
Enabling Infrastructure
The Nudge Unit provides the platform, tools, and connections that help actors find one another and work together.
Reducing Friction
Making collaboration easier by connecting Asks (what you need) with Gives (what others can offer).
Example in Action
A community wanted to improve waste segregation. We connected them with a CBO experienced in community engagement, a solution provider offering training materials, and a local government contact. Together, they launched a successful ward-level program.
Our Core Principles
Values-driven collaboration, rooted in trust and local experimentation
Alignment, Not Uniformity
- Actors don't need to operate the same way to work together
- The Nudge Unit coordinates around shared intent, not identical methods
- Diverse actors can move in coordinated ways without being identical
Place-Sensitive Design
- Solutions evolve from local realities and community aspirations
- Respond to what people value, struggle with, and hope for
- Interventions are grounded in neighbourhood context
Participation Over Provision
- Begin with what people already know, care about, and contribute
- Shift from 'delivering solutions' to creating space for local participation
- Ask what people can offer, not just what they need
Adaptable by Design
- Deliberately loose structure encourages ongoing experimentation
- Members have visibility into each other's efforts and learnings
- Enables continuous adaptation and collective learning
Shared Infrastructure
Collating tools, spaces, and expertise to make collaboration easier
NoTF redefines infrastructure to include four key types that enable neighbourhood action:
Physical
Local hubs, community venues, shared tools and equipment
Knowledge
Toolkits, implementation playbooks, case studies, resource banks
Financial
Small grants, pooled funds, shared budgeting resources
Social
Trust networks, citizen groups, CBO connections, peer support
Nudge Unit
Your First Point of Contact
The Nudge Unit helps members build work that is neighbourhood-based, climate-related, and community-focused.
The "Librarian" of NoTF
Curates and connects you with everything you need—directories, toolkits, venues, pooled resources, and partner organizations.
Facilitating "Gives and Asks"
The Unit's core role is matchmaking: Bring your Asks (what you need), get connected to Gives (what others can offer).
Member Support & Enablement
Organizes member meetups, maintains a proposal bank, hosts help-desks in research, design, communications, and operations.
For Community Organizations
Multiply your impact at the local level
Build Momentum
Your participation helps generate momentum that spreads beyond a single project, creating ripple effects across the neighbourhood.
Amplify Local Impact
When multiple projects come together in the same neighbourhood, they reinforce one another, making your impact deeper and more visible.
Join a Community of Practice
Become part of a vibrant learning circle where implementers share experiences, troubleshoot challenges, and improve together.
Gain Grounded Validation
Your work is seen, tested, and validated directly by residents and fellow practitioners, not just funders.
For Solution Providers
Strategic alignment and new collaborators
Reduce Duplication
NoTF connects you with reliable partners already active in neighbourhoods, helping you avoid repeating efforts and wasting resources.
See Your Ideas Adapt & Scale
See how your ideas are interpreted and applied across different neighbourhoods, allowing them to spread organically and effectively.
Build Compounding Momentum
When multiple initiatives operate in the same place, even small contributions gain traction and compound over time.
Access Shared Knowledge Base
Contribute to and benefit from a shared directory of tools, playbooks, case studies, and support infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Neighbourhoods of the Future is an unbranded, informal alliance that acts as a place-based platform and enabling infrastructure for collaboration. We treat neighbourhoods as the unit of change, bringing together communities, organizations, and local actors to create lasting impact.
It means the Nudge Unit treats neighbourhoods as active ecosystems of knowledge and action. The Nudge Unit aligns different actors' work based on local aspirations and needs, rather than bringing in siloed, outside-in solutions. Every neighbourhood is unique, and solutions must respond to local context.
The alliance is beginning in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Bhubaneswar, with potential to expand. The Nudge Unit is building neighbourhood-level networks in each city, connecting communities and organizations working on climate, liveability, and social equity.
Gives are contributions like domain expertise, programs, physical spaces, CBO connections, or funding. Asks are needs like partners for implementation, tools, venues, small grants, or technical support. The Nudge Unit matches Asks with Gives to enable collaboration.
The Nudge Unit is the first point of contact and the "cartilage" of NoTF. It helps connect members, collate resources, facilitate the matching of Asks and Offers, and provide ongoing support through meetups, help-desks, and a shared proposal bank.
Ready to Transform Your Neighbourhood?
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