How Communities Are Stepping Up to Revive Our Tired Towns
From ferry companies to shopping centres, communities are buying up local assets to run for themselves as big retailers and the state retreat.
EnvironmentGNGV Editorial Team5 min readLast reviewed September 28, 2026
Positive News reports on a growing movement of community ownership. In Bristol, yellow and blue ferries shuttle people around the harbour — run by the community since 2013 when 900 people bought shares to save the service.
"With everything going on in the world today, having something like this is a powerful thing," says co-director Roshin Tobin-Brooke. The ferries carry 50,000 passengers yearly, with commuters who "actually talk to each other" unlike on buses or trains.
