Cohesion Counts

The Impact of Consulting and Shared Space in New Build

This is a Cohesion Counts overview of the project.
Click here for the project leader’s report.

Background
Research Objectives
Methodology
Research Findings and Conclusions
Recommendations

Background

Little is known about how consultation and engagement activities around new build developments affects residents’ community experience, feeling of satisfaction with place and belonging. Similarly, evaluation is needed to ascertain the impact of shared space at a new build development, to understand whether neighbourly relationships are more likely to form if residents have places to meet and talk.

(back to top)

Research Objectives

To evaluate the impact of shared spaces in fostering community cohesion within identified schemes and to evaluate the potential for shared spaces where they do not exist.

To evaluate the consultation and engagement carried out before, during and after development of each of the identified schemes in Oldham and Rochdale

(back to top)

Methodology

Face to face individual interviews and focus groups with those living in selected new build developments and the surrounding existing housing in Oldham and Rochdale.

(back to top)

Research Findings and Conclusions

• It’s difficult to establish a linear causal link between consultation and engagement activity and cohesion.
• Doing ‘consultation’ is only part of the process. This research found that consultation activity poses opportunities to foster and encourage social networks to grow.
• It is important that consultation is dialogue, a process of listening and feedback throughout the stages of the development.
• Residents who took part in activities to mix want more opportunities to do so, those that don’t mix are unsure of the benefits.
• New build designers and community development workers must work together with community members to bring ideas for shared space to life.
• The development of shared space is a useful vehicle to mobilise people to create a stake and a sense of attachment to place

(back to top)

Recommendations

1. People have different attitudes to getting involved. A range of approaches is more likely to engage more people, for example the use of creative arts or visits to schemes elsewhere.
2. It may be necessary to identify the barriers to getting involved and try and break some of these down, for example timing of events, gender specific events where it is culturally appropriate.
3. Cohesion impacts are more likely when people interact with one another while doing an activity.
4. Consultation can be very literal and it is necessary to get to the real meaning of people’s comments and try and get them to think about what is they really need and want.
5. The planning of shared space can provide an opportunity to bring people together with a common aim.
6. It is not often possible to consult new or future residents about a scheme but partners should make more use of the views of new residents of other new developments and pass them on to developers, planners and regeneration teams.
7. Shared space needs a purpose – when residents understand the purpose it is most likely to be used for residents to interact.

(back to top)