Written by:
Louise Dennison
This month’s chat explored the role of housing in shaping and supporting communities. Our participants shared their perspectives on the current state of housing and the improvements they hope to see. The discussion emphasised how housing could be a catalyst for creating vibrant communities but recognised that the act of building housing alone isn’t enough, people and their needs must be at the centre of the process.
Key Themes
We kicked off the discussion with this quote, ‘’It is really people who make great places. Housing must meet their needs and support them to be creators of great places.’’
Participants agreed that housing alone doesn’t create vibrant, healthy and happy communities. Housing is often “done to” people, with limited input from the communities it impacts and with little accompanying local infrastructure that people and places need. Instead, housing should be where people want to live and accessible to them, as it’s people who shape places. Through the Chat, the group explored how to challenge the status quo, questioned the language used in the housing sector and how to create space for innovation and creativity within planning regulation.
People Make Places
A key theme was the critical role people and communities play in shaping both homes and neighbourhoods. One of our participants noted that housing should be considered more than bricks and mortar and building targets, housing must reflect the needs and aspirations of those who live there. Participants raised the importance of talking to people throughout the planning and building process, noting that too often changes to housing or new developments feel like it’s imposed on communities without their input, or without listening to their concerns about lack of schools or doctors in the local area.
Our participants who had lived internationally offered their personal experiences and viewpoints about how housing is treated in other countries. There are housing issues across the world but it was interesting to hear the different approaches and challenges within housing. One participant pointed to the Litre of Light initiative, where residents were empowered to creatively solve local problems using sustainable and inexpensive technology.This shows how communities can be empowered to create positive change to their communities when given the support and opportunity.
One of our participants highlighted that people have both the right and the responsibility to look after the places they live in. Communities should be seen as active agents in creating places, not just passive recipients of housing.
People make places, and housing must support people to thrive, rather than simply providing shelter. Engaging and empowering communities to create and develop places is essential to building communities and creating somewhere people want to live.
Thinking About Language
Another key theme was the language often used in housing and planning conversations. Terms such as “decanting” and “housing stock” were seen as dehumanising. The language used within the housing and planning sector can feel impersonal and does not consider that people live in these homes and communities. Words matter, and framing housing in more human terms, thinking more in the context of homes, people, families, and communities, could change the narrative from housing as a transaction to homes being essential for people’s wellbeing.
Participants noted that treating housing as a verb, not just a noun, might help change attitudes. Housing should not be thought of as just the act of building but as the ongoing process of getting people in homes. This change in language could create a more person-centred approach to housing.
The discussion also touched on how this impersonal language impacts people’s engagement with the housing process. When people are being “decanted” from their homes being treated simply as part of “housing stock,” they are less likely to feel a sense of belonging. Changing the language we use can play a vital role in how we understand and approach housing, ensuring it is seen as a service to people, not just a product or a social problem.
Creating Space for Creativity and Experimentation
The discussion also touched on the need to make space for creativity and experimentation within housing. Current models of mass housing, led by large developers, often lack the flexibility to accommodate innovative or community-led housing projects. There was agreement that we need to explore alternative approaches, such as cohousing projects, self-builds, and other models, which can offer more sustainable, affordable, and personable solutions to help build great places, where people want to live.
Creating platforms for those who have experimented with innovative housing models to share their experiences with others could help by supporting other people to have a go themselves.
The conversation also emphasised the need for more flexible planning regulations that allow for innovation and experimentation and that support formal and organic placemaking, which does not happen within the current rigid planning processes.
The group concluded that housing on its own isn’t enough. We need to involve and invest in communities, give space for experimentation and give people responsibility for their own spaces and places.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, this Chat offered a valuable and insightful discussion on the role of housing in creating great places. Participants generously shared personal experiences and examples of innovative projects. It became clear that housing alone isn’t enough to build great places; people must be at the centre of the process. By addressing language, fostering creativity & embracing experimentation within the planning system, and empowering communities to take a more active role in shaping their homes, housing can indeed become a catalyst for positive change in people, places, and the environment.