Creating community through construction: using our changemaking power for good

As people who work in the built environment industry, we are in the privileged position of having the power to create change. What we do changes the places where people live, work and spend their time. How we go about that can have a significant impact on how successful – or detrimental – those changes are.

When we get it right, we can create thriving places that really deliver for both new and existing communities, enhancing people’s quality of life. But when we get it wrong – when regeneration projects don’t understand and value the local community – we can cause lasting social damage.

Going above and beyond

This is why it is so important that we work to get it right from the very start of any project. We need to deliver social value from the off – finding ways to respect and enhance people’s experiences of a place. This means going above and beyond. It means not simply seeing ‘social value’ as an obligation, a box to tick to get through the planning process or to win a contract. It means taking an approach that seeks to benefit people and place as its central objective.

In a recent report from the Quality of Life Foundation, we dug into how it’s possible to bake positive social change into the process of development itself, rather than waiting for a scheme to be delivered to have a positive impact on the people it affects. Looking at the work of developers on two major regeneration projects – Earls Court in London and Mayfield (pictured) in Manchester – we uncovered some great examples of how developers are going about creating community through construction.

The developers working on these schemes – Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) and U+I respectively – have carried out some exciting, innovative ‘community activations’ that have enabled the sites themselves to add value to the local area – to bring people together, to provide opportunities for interaction, for learning, for experiencing nature and even wonder. There is much we can learn from these examples of good practice, and in our report, we have put together a set of recommendations for industry based upon them.

Prioritising public amenities

Something that both developers have done, and seen the benefits of, is prioritising public amenities. While these won’t necessarily bring money in early in the development process, prioritising aspects that create social value should ensure financial rewards later, while making a positive impact on the community immediately. At Mayfield, U+I has already created a large, nature-filled park – bringing people into the new development at a really early stage. ECDC has created a Community Hub to provide an inclusive space to support wellbeing.

Even when spaces like this are temporary or ‘meanwhile’, it is possible to test out what works, to ensure that they are successfully re-provided in the final development. Going above and beyond requirements will deliver social value and help people feel valued and cared for, building trust and pride of place early on.

Opportunities to bring in culture

Integrating culture from the get-go is another technique that has worked well in both London and Manchester. The report’s case studies show that accessible programmes of cultural activation can offer social value, build place identity, test out what works on site, and even generate income. Construction and development do not need to be associated with inaccessible and ugly sites. They can create vibrant places that offer something fun and exciting to the community. Mayfield’s live music venue and Earls Court’s Underbelly Festival and BBC Earth Experience are brilliant examples of this.

Inclusivity, inclusivity, inclusivity

What is really important to remember, whatever activations are planned for a development, is inclusivity. To really bring communities along the development journey with us, we must ensure that we are providing opportunities for everyone. This requires gaining an understanding of the local population and providing a diverse and extensive programme of community engagement. Investing in understanding the communities we serve should be the crucial first step in any development process.

As built environment professionals, we have the power to create change. By learning from these examples and really understanding, providing for and enhancing communities through the construction process, we have the opportunity to use that power for good.