Community development: the 5 keystones

by Simon Donovan, CEO of London Development Trust.


Community development is crucial for vibrant, inclusive neighbourhoods. By connecting people, creating space, empowering individuals, influencing the powerful, and building sustainable organisations, we can create places where people live happily and thrive.

London Development Trust (LDT) specialises in social stewardship and has worked with the built environment industry for over 15 years. We assist the co-design process and deliver quality social stewardship led by people who live – and will come to live – in a place.

At LDT, we believe that there are five keystones that drive successful community development:

Connection

This works on a number of levels of housing regeneration. Too many forget what was there before, look only within the red line, do not connect with local services and provide little opportunity for new and existing residents to associate. 

Place is a kaleidoscope of layered experiences that enriches the community’s collective identity. Accounting for the diverse identities, histories, and demographics of an area ensures inclusive and locally engaged work. Understanding what is already there, whether an existing youth club or green space, and nurturing the meeting points for new and old residents, will unlock social value that transcends the mere sum of its parts.

Creating space 

People need spaces in which to live safely. Accessible community spaces serve as gathering points for diverse activities. They foster a sense of belonging, shape identities, and allow individuals, community groups, and small businesses to thrive.

LDT follows the principles of Asset-based Community Development (ABCD), hiring venues to form an income stream in order to be both financially sustainable and develop local strengths. Actively involving local communities in the public realm has the potential to enhance social stewardship, boost local economies, and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Empowering

Empowering individuals and communities is at the heart of building strong, resilient neighbourhoods. By providing volunteer opportunities and training, residents can take steps to achieve their goals and aspirations – in other words – be empowered.

Well-executed community projects, local labour schemes and volunteering initiatives can not only increase local employment and enterprise, but also build a robust local voluntary sector. Engaging communities in health, and promoting pro-environmental behaviour change also yield numerous positive outcomes, significantly improving residents’ quality of life.

Sustainable organisation

For sustainable development, governance needs to be determined locally.

The delivery of the 4 other keystones must involve local people as both staff and at Board level. Professional and accountable to both its Board and residents, the organisation can act as a way of leveraging external resources.

Long-term funding, combined with assets for income generation, provides stability for community organisations involved in regeneration schemes.

Influencing the powerful

Community development must be data driven. LDT consistently surveys residents to gain insights from a wide demographic range. We use innovative consultation projects such as My Place to achieve this. The data lets us know what residents need and assesses our performance.

Coupled with clear milestones, the data can measure progress against our Theory of Change and the initial aspirations for community regeneration. This can be done over years of a scheme.

Advances in technology allow easier management and interrogation of impact information. Local data can then be aligned to wider targets such as UN Sustainability Goals. LDT streams its work in the 5 Keystones with an aspiration to measure the total impact of our methodology in a place.

Conclusion 

These five keystones provide a framework for consistent and high-quality social stewardship in the built environment. By connecting people, creating space, empowering individuals and communities, influencing the powerful, and building sustainable organisations, we can create neighbourhoods that are a credit to our city.

Despite challenges like funding and coordination, community development has opportunities in the rise of community-led approaches, social value, and new technologies.

By addressing challenges and seizing opportunities, we can create sustainable and inclusive neighbourhoods.

Simon Donovan, CEO of London Development Trust, oversees social sustainability services on Woodberry Down, Acton Gardens, and Grand Union housing regeneration. His consultancy Independent Means Ltd, collaborates with major developers in London and Kent. Simon’s achievements include winning the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise and being recognized as the NatWestSE100 Social Impact Champion. With three decades of experience, he has advised and practised community development in impoverished and challenging areas of East London.

If you enjoyed this blog, check out our Inclusive Engagement Toolkit for more advice on effective community engagement