Building Resilient Communities Tai Pawb Annual Conference

16th October 2014

Social Life’s aim is to put people at the heart of placemaking, we work in the UK and internationally.

Where are the people?

What makes a community?

The first question: what is a community?

Source: Egan Review 2004

An alternative view. What about … Physical boundaries to promote geographical identity

Local myths & stories

Strong social relationships, networks & bonds

Rituals and rhythms

Shared belief systems, garden cities, new towns, eco-cities

Visible leadership.

A framework for social sustainability

Understanding resilience

Resilience is the ability of a person, group or community to adapt and ‘bounce back’ in the face of adversity

More often used in discussions about the environment or emergency preparation

Increasing interest in social resilience, for individuals and communities

A central part of a social justice agenda, focusing on strengths of individuals and communities as well as vulnerabilities.

What is resilience?

Survival resilience vs adaptive resilience

Chicago heatwave July 1995

A story of the protective powers of social relationships

Wellbeing & resilience in Poplar

Wellbeing Resilience

From Young Foundation “The Wellbeing and Resilience Paradox”

•  Employed •  Have children •  Higher

education •  English not

first language.

•  Unemployed •  Lower levels of

education •  Less likely to

have children •  More women

than men.

•  Unemployed •  Lower levels of

education •  Likely to be

single, divorced or separated

•  More men than women.

•  Employed •  Have

children •  Higher

education •  Married or in

stable relationship.

From Young Foundation “The Wellbeing and Resilience Paradox”

Self

Social

Structural

* Enjoy day-to-day activities * Ability to face problems * Regular savings * Felt you could not overcome difficulties * Felt downhearted & depressed * Subjective financial situation

* Friends/family around for drink or meal * Regularly stop and talk with people in my neighborhood

* Level of education * Unemployed or long term sick or disabled * Employed

What influences our resilience?

What does it look like in practice?

The Latin American community in Elephant & Castle

Cressingham Gardens estate, Tulse Hill

Our data showed that this well loved estate is supporting vulnerable people to get by, and is home to a relatively strong community in an area where crime and isolation are common.

What can housing providers do?

Increasing poverty, and the impact of austerity have undermined individuals’ and communities’ resilience

Housing providers need to be sensitive to the social ties that exist in communities

They need to work with other agencies to recognise the value of what exists within local areas, as well as tackling the problems

And to be open to different people’s views about what they want to keep, as well as what they want to change.

social-life.co nicola.bacon@social-life.co @SL_Cities