Building healthy and inclusive communities: A developer’s perspective

By Martyn Evans, Creative Director Landsec U+I

At the recent Quality of Life Symposium, I addressed something that has been a longstanding assumption of people who watch and comment on the world of development and real estate: the idea that developers don’t care about people’s health and wellbeing. As I said then, I’m here to tell you that this is an outdated notion, and it’s time for a change of perspective.

The world is evolving. Developers must too.

There is a view that we only have ourselves to blame. In the past, it might have seemed like we developers were solely focused on the bottom line, and little else. However, the world has changed, and our approach has evolved with it. Now, I think it’s fair to say that we can’t do our business unless we care deeply about the experience of people who live, work and play in the places we build.

Why is that? Well, ask yourself if a supermarket would stay in business very long if it didn’t care whether people got hungry. It’s unthinkable. Supermarkets exist to provide for a basic human need – to feed people – just as we developers exist to provide homes for people to live in. Surely success for us is happy healthy people living in those homes – because happy, healthy people are better consumers.

The change we are witnessing isn’t just about making money though; it’s about creating value. Happy people make good places, and good places are valuable. As a developer, I see this as an opportunity, not a burden.

So, the question arises: how do we need to change our thinking as an industry to create places that truly deliver for people’s health and wellbeing?

Not a choice, but a necessity

First and foremost, we developers need to understand that it’s no longer a choice to care about these issues. It’s business critical.

We can serve our shareholders by ensuring our customers are happy and well. To achieve this, we must get to know them better than ever before. It’s no longer enough to merely build; we need to consider the opinions and the wellbeing of the communities we build for.

This shift is not a matter of choice; it’s a matter of necessity. The power dynamics have changed. Social media has given people a platform to voice their opinions, and terrible, tragic events like Grenfell have underscored the importance of listening to those who live in the places we build and care for. If you’re a developer who doesn’t care about what people think, I believe you are behaving recklessly in today’s world. It’s bad for business.

Reflecting the people who will live in our homes

Our cities and towns are becoming increasingly diverse, and our developments should reflect this diversity. To be able to build inclusive and healthy communities, we must first look in the mirror and ensure that our development teams are as diverse and inclusive as the communities they are building for. This is not just about visible diversity but also about understanding the diversity characteristics that may not be immediately apparent.

An excellent example of how the industry is changing is the build-to-rent sector. Investors particularly are shifting in a big way from investing in build to sell to build to rent. This is a major shift towards investing for the long term. Sensible investing for the long term means bothering very much about the happiness of your customers – those who are providing the return on your investment through their thousands of monthly rent payments. There is a marked shift in our industry as a result, towards being very interested in how happy and contented people are who live in our buildings. They are much more than just numbers on spreadsheets.

Lastly, we need to bridge the generation gap. The experiences of young people today are vastly different from those of my generation. To build homes that truly cater to their needs, we must adapt our thinking and our approach.

It’s time to embrace the opportunities

The world is changing. Fast. To survive we need to acknowledge this and act accordingly, We have no choice. We must build communities that prioritise happiness, wellbeing, and inclusivity. This is, without doubt, a positive shift in our industry and I’m excited about the opportunities it presents. It’s time to embrace this change, not just for the sake of our customers, not just for the betterment of our industry and society as a whole, but also for our shareholders and our bottom line.