History of The Civic Trust
The Civic Trust was founded in 1957 by Duncan Sandys, as a new champion for the built environment and especially for Britain’s rich heritage of historic buildings and places.
From the outset, the Trust focused not only on conservation, but also on bringing about change, improvement and higher standards. We’ve been championing causes to improve quality of life in the built environment ever since, sometimes in a favourable public and political context, but not always. Our work has included pioneering work on town centre improvements, urban regeneration, the reuse of derelict and vacant land and the protection and enhancement of our built heritage, and the renowned Civic Trust Awards.
Britain would look very different today, without the work of the Civic Trust. In London, Covent Garden would have a six-lane highway ploughing through it; Piccadilly Circus would have been redeveloped with overbearing 1960’s glass and steel buildings, wider roads, and pedestrians exiled to high-level walkways; Whitehall between Parliament Street and the Embankment would have been flattened for redevelopment, and that romantic riverside monument, Norman Shaw’s New Scotland Yard, vanished forever.
Historic towns like York, Bath, Berwick-on-Tweed and Chester would have been damaged beyond recognition; roads and streets in would be lined with advertising hoardings; demolition of historic buildings would have been uncontrolled; conservation areas would not exist (the Trust was instrumental in bringing about the Civic Amenities Act, which established conservation areas).
Much has changed since the Civic Trust was established. We have worked in many fields to improve Britain’s built environment. We’ve carried out practical projects; demonstrated how to make better places; run various programmes and influenced the government’s campaign for urban renaissance and sustainable communities.
Four strands of Trust activity run through our history: campaigning to change policy and attitudes, raising standards and rewarding the best through the Civic Trust Awards, the Civic Society movement and working to engage and empower communities to demand more from their towns and cities.