Community design centres are places where communities can get affordable technical help to plan and manage their environment. They are the environmental equivalent of health centres and are invaluable for helping local people design and implement environmental projects, particularly in poor communities.

Community design centres are staffed by people with a range of the technical skills needed for environmental management. They are also known as 'community technical aid centres'.

Centres provide services to local voluntary groups ­ and sometimes individuals ­ covering all aspects of environmental management. Services will normally be free unless groups are able to afford to pay for them or fees can be built into capital project bids.

Centres will normally be independent charitable agencies funded by governments, local authorities, universities, charities or private sponsors. Sometimes they are controlled by the groups to whom they provide services. Independent consultants may also provide the same service, subsidised by other work.