New Build and Cohesion: lessons from research Philip Brown Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit...

New Build and Cohesion: New Build and Cohesion: lessons from researchlessons from research

Philip BrownSalford Housing & Urban Studies Unit

Helen Brzozowskiarc4

The researchThe research

New Build and Cohesion: lessons from research

Pre Move in New Build research - project by Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit, The University of Salford

Post move inImpact of creating opportunities for new people in New Build - project by arc4

OverviewOverview


• Background to the projects

• The challenge of cohesion in areas of New Build

• Findings from the studies• Impact of consultation and engagement• Impact of shared places• Outcomes from activities to bring people together

and integrate within their community

• Summary thoughts

Background to the projectsBackground to the projects


• New Build research:• Focused on 7 selected developments across both Oldham

and Rochdale• Produce an assessment of quality and design of New Build

within the new build offer in Oldham and Rochdale• Evaluate the impact of and potential for shared space with

regards to community cohesion

• Impact of creating opportunities for new people in New Build:

• Focused on 3 selected developments across both Oldham and Rochdale

• Undertake a range of activities that bring people together• Evaluate what type of activities best integrate people

within the development and within the wider community

The challenge to cohesion in New The challenge to cohesion in New Build areasBuild areas


• Usually not an existing community

• Everyone arrives together-not organically grown

• Canvas is often greater or lesser neighbourhood disruption and/or change

• Neighbours, friends and family leaving• Visual and structural fabric changing• New dwellings being constructed in ‘new’ styles• New/different people arriving

• Ethnicity• Tenure

• People more likely to be from different areas than existing stock-blank sheet


The challenge to cohesion in New The challenge to cohesion in New Build areasBuild areas

• Entrenched and often small social networks

• Entrenched views about participating in certain ‘activities’

• Difficulties of getting new residents and old residents to mix – lack of organic development of relationships

• Risk of creating a culture of ‘them’ and ‘us’ if not addressed early

• Not often considered a priority-no existing problems to solve

Findings: New Build Findings: New Build researchresearch


Consultation activity across the Consultation activity across the schemesschemes


• Differing levels of consultation across schemes• Intensity of activity:

1. Devon/Norfolk St (various meetings, bussed to see similar established schemes)

2. Stoneleigh (large meeting, newsletters)3. Selwyn St (consultation with other residents)4. Langley 1 & 2 (minimal)

Stat obligation – Gale St and Block Lane

• Very few people (in any scheme) were aware of or had attended any consultation events


Consultation activity and resulting interaction

• Devon/Norfolk St appeared to have resulted in more social networks being developed

• Selwyn St – little activity but seemingly desire for more involvement

• Gale St – no/little activity and no interaction • Stoneleigh – ‘anomalous’ a lot of activity. Some

cohesion but possibly directed at ‘anti-HMR’• Langley – no evidence of any impact from

consultation



• No obvious causal link between activity and resulting cohesion (Devon St possible exception)

• Consultation provides opportunities but challenges

• How do you ensure consultation reaches both the new resident (when you don’t know who they are) and the established?

• What should you be consulting about? Be realistic

• How do you keep people truly informed/engaged in the process of development? Possibly an underfunded stage but crucial in the long-term


Shared places in the schemesShared places in the schemes


• Three areas with relevant community assets/shared space

• Devon St – Home Zone

• Stoneleigh – Home Zone

• Selwyn St – Coppice Park

Devon StreetDevon Street


• Home Zone used and most saw this in positive terms.

• Some embryonic evidence of cohesion impacts as a result.

Stoneleigh Stoneleigh


• Home Zone never commented on or referred to

Selwyn StreetSelwyn Street


• Coppice Park was generally thought of in positive terms although there was some confusion over what is was for. Not really used for interaction although some people used it as a natural break in walking.



• Possible future space

• Play areas:

• mentioned in the vast majority of interviews. Most cited the need for these in order to get children away from the area.

• An adults view?

• Community centres:

• The easy option?


• Community asset/shared space-interaction paradox• Those that had community assets/shared space

tended to detail more ways to increase interaction• Those that had no community assets/shared space

did not tend to see what could help them interact

• Process of development of a community asset/shared space• Building a sense of purpose and relevance• Generating a sense of ownership


Summary thoughtsSummary thoughts


Consultation when developing New Build• Underfunded and often ignored or overlooked• Crucial in order to build a sense of place• People choose places because of family, friends

and a sense of belonging (whether they participate fully or not)

• Consultation and involvement in design lays the foundations of a sustainable local market – both attracts new people and keeps existing residents


Summary thoughtsSummary thoughts

Shared places in areas of New Build• Most people seeking more interaction• Interaction expected to increase with warmer/less

wet weather• Can cohesion be possible just by creating housing

and public spaces? Facilities and transport are significant issues – remit of housing providers?

• Cohesion cannot be rushed – takes time, trust and sharedness

• Not everyone wants to be sociable the task is to allow for sociability and support its growth

Findings: Impact of creating Findings: Impact of creating opportunities for new people opportunities for new people

in New Buildin New Build


Best practice elsewhere…Best practice elsewhere…


• Plenty of case studies-particularly around regeneration• Limited evidenced monitoring.• Traditional outcomes considered e.g. turnover, number

of voids etc.• It is difficult to measure the impact of an activity has

had on the community. • Integration is likely to be a gradual process that one

single project will not complete. • A „speedy‟ process to establish the new community

works better-harder in the down turn.• Formal events such as establishing community meetings

and residents associations tend not to work.

The projectThe project


• Consider 3 developments

• Undertake a series of activities

• Evaluate what brings people together

• Range of activities and evaluations tools

The developments: Nelson PlaceThe developments: Nelson Place


Wardleworth neighbourhood in East Central Rochdale

13 Social Rented; 12 Sale

Initial survey work identified that community cohesion and interaction were not perceived to be an issue

Well established Bangladeshi and Pakistani community

Agreed not to include this development in the project any further


The developments: AstoriaThe developments: Astoria


The developments: The developments: BrooklandsBrooklands• New build sale scheme at Bowlee Park

(Langley) in Rochdale

• 200 properties privately owned

• Design has achieved successful physical integration with existing social rented properties

• Can be accessed without traveling through the rest of the estate

• Initial survey identified no meaningful engagement or relationships between any resident

• Activities were designed to offer opportunities to foster and encourage social networks to be developed

• Gym• Walking group

OutcomesOutcomes


• We had over 12 people join the Gym at Brooklands

• We have started a mother and toddler group and walking group at Brooklands

• We had good attendance at all events at Astoria

• 5 people have taken up gym membership

But what people have said is But what people have said is important… Brooklandsimportant… Brooklands


“I have told my family about the gym and they have said they are interested in joining, I think they might soon”

“I know the library is there now, I haven’t been but if I need to I definitely will, I just haven’t had reason to so far.”

“I will definitely continue with my membership, it has been the best £10 I have spent in a long time, I am getting fitter and more importantly thinner and meeting new people.”


But what people have said is But what people have said is important… The Astoriaimportant… The Astoria“Is the guy from apartment XX here?... He gave me his sofa, I wanted to have a chat with him, he seems a nice bloke, I’ve said I’ll buy him a few pints when I see him.”

“When will the roof garden be open, it’ll be nice for people to meet up there when the weather is better, maybe have a barbeque together.”

“I’ve seen you about, I’ve been meaning to say hello, you’re from apartment XX aren’t you?”

“We need to all make sure that this place doesn’t turn into the XXX flats, that place is awful, I have friends who live there and it’s full of drunks and druggies.”

“It would be good to have regular meet ups, it feels safer when you know people who live around you.”

Early lessons from our workEarly lessons from our work


•Encouraging interaction is about making it easier for people to do all the things they would do naturally

•Activities should be natural and organic not forced, so it’s about providing opportunities

•It does not have to be big bang! Low key pump priming what may have happened anyway

•One off events may not have enabled as many people to be involved.

•Approaches that focus on tangible and real life issues seem to work best: Keep it simple, don’t be too ambitious: Particularly if those activities can be continued without further intervention


• Formal engagement less popular than informal e.g. face book, use of the gym

• Offering a different range of activities enables different groups to be involved

• Doesn’t need to be expensiveBut…………..

• Does not necessarily touch hard-to-reach

• Not designed to sort problems

Early lessons from our workEarly lessons from our work

Thank youThank you

Philip BrownSalford Housing & Urban Studies Unit

Helen Brzozowskiarc4


New Build and Cohesion: lessons from research Philip Brown Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit...

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