Neighbourhood
Communities operate both locally and across whole neighbourhoods. The neighbourhood is the place where we live and probably has a name. It’s far too big to know everyone, but it is home to a network of people we know, from close friends to passing acquaintances and neighbourhood regulars like the postman, lollypop lady, newsagent and GP. Our neighbourhood also includes our local high street, the school that our children attend, the park where they play, the pubs and cafes where we socialise, our clubs and societies and elected councillors.
Communities operate both locally and across whole neighbourhoods. The neighbourhood is the place where we live and probably has a name. It’s far too big to know everyone, but it is home to a network of people we know, from close friends to passing acquaintances and neighbourhood regulars like the postman, lollypop lady, newsagent and GP. Our neighbourhood also includes our local high street, the school that our children attend, the park where they play, the pubs and cafes where we socialise, our clubs and societies and elected councillors.
The sociologist Robert Putnam calls the web of connections and relationships within our communities and neighbourhoods ‘social capital’ and it is vital to our wellbeing through the sense of identity, purpose and belonging that it provides. Social capital is something that develops over time but it needs help. It needs places, facilities and services that allow these community connections to thrive, something that is called ‘social infrastructure’.
Many large modern housing estates lack this social infrastructure. Shopping involves a car trip to a supermarket and, with the exception of schools, there are often few local facilities or spaces for the community to come together. This makes it harder for people to interact with people other than their immediate neighbours, stifling the growth of social capital. New neighbourhoods therefore need to be designed with a full range of local facilities and these need to be available to everyone (there is no point if they are unaffordable to half the community). This is not easy. Very often these facilities are not viable, particularly as the neighbourhood is being built, which can take many years. There is also a need to retrofit existing mono-use estates so that they can develop social capital.
What you can do
Communities
Support your local high street, shop locally and make use of local services. Involve local businesses, shop keepers and service providers in discussions; they are, after all, part of the community. Think about improvements that the community can make, such as high street clean up campaigns, planters and hanging baskets. Is there scope for community groups to take over empty shop units, the local library or even run a community pub or café.
Developers and designers
Build a mix of uses! Include workspace, shop units and space for schools, health and community facilities in new developments. For large schemes, build a new local high street rather than going for the easy option of a supermarket. Mix it all up and make sure everything is united by a walkable network of streets.
Councils
Require a mix of uses in planning policy and ensure local policies don’t restrict the development of local business space. Support local high streets and work with businesses and communities to develop improvement strategies. Consider the idea of Business Improvement Districts to bring companies together and fund improvements.
Case study
Community: Eddington, Cambridge
In response to the extreme effects of growth in the city, the University of Cambridge are in the process of transforming 150 hectares of what was flat, inaccessible and somewhat featureless farmland into a new urban district in the north-west of the city.
Only slightly smaller than the historic centre of Cambridge, once completed the new district will include 3,000 homes (of which 50% will be affordable), 100,000sqm of research facilities, 2,000 postgraduate student beds and local facilities such as schools, shops and surgeries needed to create a healthy and vibrant community.
Eddington, the first phase of the development, has prioritised housing to meet the housing supply shortage within the development with half of the 14,000 new homes being built for qualifying University and college staff.
What sets Eddington apart from many other commercially-led developments is Cambridge City Council’s insistence that the local centre is to be delivered first.
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