Urban&Civic Resident Review: Returning to measure change

Client: Urban&Civic

Project type: Post occupancy evaluation

Number of sites: 3

Locations: Houlton, Rugby (Warwickshire); Alconbury Weald, Huntingdonshire (Cambridgeshire); Priors Hall Park, Corby (Northamptonshire)

What was the project?

In 2024 we returned to three Urban&Civic developments to conduct post-occupancy evaluations, following recommendations made during our previous review in 2021. 

This review was aimed at tracking longitudinal changes, assessing progress on our earlier recommendations, and ensuring that more diverse resident voices were heard. 

The QOLF Consulting also provided a new set of strategic recommendations to help Urban&Civic refine its social impact strategy and further enhance its sector-leading approach to social impact and deepening its commitment to meaningful community engagement.

Why did we do it?

The core objective was to evaluate how residents perceive their quality of life across three rapidly-developing Urban&Civic sites. 

There was a mix of residents who have lived on the sites since before our first review and those who have moved in since. And we sought to assess whether residents’ experiences and perceptions had evolved since the last review in 2021, and to identify emerging issues and opportunities. 

We also aimed to engage a broader and more diverse group of residents, including underrepresented voices, to deepen the insights into the communities’ evolving needs.

What did we do?

We conducted post-occupancy evaluations across the three sites, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data to gather a detailed picture of residents’ quality of life. The review also compared these findings to those of the 2021 survey to track changes over time. 

This analysis resulted in a short set of actionable recommendations aimed at improving Urban&Civic’s approach to social impact and resident engagement.

How did we do it?

We began with scoping visits to each site, reviewing feedback from previous visits to assess changes since 2021. We also carried out desk research, which focused on key developments, such as new homes and amenities. 

Survey questions, drawn from our Resident Review bank, combined qualitative and quantitative responses, with national benchmarks for comparison.

This evaluation also focused on underrepresented groups, whose experiences were captured through a simplified survey version. The aim was to establish a baseline of their views alongside broader quality of life indicators at the sites.

We employed a multi-pronged outreach and engagement strategy, including door-to-door campaigns, pop-up events, community drop-ins, social media outreach, and collaborative events with local organisations and site leads. This ensured that all residents, including those who are traditionally underrepresented, had the opportunity to provide feedback.

Engagement and reach:

  • 636 completed surveys
  • 750 total engagements (including partially completed surveys)
  • In-person engagements included talking to around 130 residents at Priors Hall Park, 200 at Houlton, and 200 at Alconbury Weald.

What did we find?

The results of the 2024 Resident Review show a clear improvement in quality of life scores across all three sites compared to 2021. These scores reflect the performance of the development against each of the themes in the Quality of Life Framework. They enable us to measure progress over time and to compare performance across sites. 

This suggests that Urban&Civic’s ongoing commitment to creating high-quality, green, and connected neighbourhoods is making a positive impact. 

Some of these improvements can be directly linked to Urban&Civic acting on our previous recommendations, highlighting their commitment to responding to resident feedback and continuously enhancing the living experience in these communities.