News / city leap
Capturing community imagination of ‘fossil fuel-free future’
What does a future free of fossil fuel look like? This is the question Vattenfall, a partner in the Bristol City Leap, asked the community.
Bristol City Leap, a 20-year public-private partnership hailed as a “blueprint” for city-level decarbonisation, has decided to engage with the public, bringing its quiet but significant work into the spotlight.
Vattenfall Heat UK collaborated with the local community and artist RTiiiKA to visually interpret what a fossil-free future might look like.
Through three workshops in Barton Hill attended by participants aged 11 to over 75, the project combined creative exercises with learning about the Bristol heat network’s water-source heat pump technology.
The project involved three workshops in Barton Hill attended by participants aged 11 to 75
The final result is a vibrant mural on a Vattenfall compound, co-designed with schools and the Wellspring Settlement, celebrating sustainable energy and aiming to spark curiosity and pride in public space.
Inspired by Vattenfall’s water-source heat pump at Castle Park Energy Centre, RTiiiKA captured the community’s imaginative ideas for using harbour water to generate heat.
The vibrant illustrations, created by the Wellspring Settlement art group, Barton Hill Academy, and City Academy, are featured on the hoarding artwork.
Through a co-design process, the artist and community collaborated from start to finish—exploring the technology, sharing motivations for ditching fossil fuels, and shaping the final bold, creative vision of a fossil fuel-free future.
Vattenfall Heat UK collaborated with the local community and artist RTiiiKA to visually interpret what a fossil-free future might look like
RTiiiKA said: “I think it’s really important that we invest in our public space and make our cities beautiful and fun places to live. I hope that people who walk by are curious about it and think, ‘Oh, what’s this about?’ It might plant the seed for them to want to know more.”
Bristol City Leap are member of the Bristol24/7 Better Business network, an initiative to help businesses thrive while creating a positive impact on Bristol and the people who live here. As part of their membership, businesses can publish member news stories like this. For more information, visit my.bristol247.com/better-business
Main photo: Bristol City Leap
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