CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  Berkeley  Group  social  sustainability  measurement  framework  

     

Nicola  Bacon  &  Professor  Tim  Dixon  28th  September  2012  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  team    

What  we’re  going  to  talk  about  •  Context    •  How  we  developed  the  framework  •  TesCng  the  framework  •  ImplicaCons  

DESIGN FORSOCIAL SUSTAINABIL ITYA framework for creat ing thr iv ing new communi t ies

Saffron Woodcraft with Tricia Hackett & Lucia Caistor-ArendarForeword by Sir Peter Hall

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Where  have  we  come  from  since  2011?  

•  Social  sustainability  maHers…but  

•  Need  to  define  what  we  mean  

•  Need  to  develop  beHer  framework  for  assessment  

 

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

What’s  changed  in  the  policy  landscape?  

•  Localism  •  Planning  •  Well-­‐being  •  Housing  &  growth  package  

 

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Our  definiCon  

“Social  sustainability  describes  the  way  a  neighbourhood  supports  individual  and  collecCve  wellbeing.  It  is  about  people’s  quality  of  life.      

Social  sustainability  combines  design  of  the  physical  environment  with  a  focus  on  how  the  people  who  live  in  and  use  a  space  relate  to  each  other  and  funcCon  as  a  community.  It  is  enhanced  by  development  which  provides  the  right  infrastructure  to  support  a  strong  social  and  cultural  life,  opportuniCes  for  people  to  get  involved,  and  scope  for  the  place  and  the  community  to  evolve.”  

 

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

What  happens  in  communiCes  is  complex  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Community  strengths  and  vulnerabiliCes  co-­‐exist:  this  is  the  starCng  point  for  social  sustainability  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Our  results  show  that  the  social  sustainability  -­‐  the  strength  of  a  community  and  the  quality  of  life  of  residents  -­‐    can  be  assessed.    And  that  new  housing  developments  can  rapidly  become  strong  communiCes  that  provide  a  good  quality  of  life.  

   

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Our  brief:  to  produce  a  measurement  framework  for  the  Berkeley  Group  that  could  be  mainstreamed  

across  their  whole  business  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Could  other  frameworks  we  be  used?  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

When  to  measure?  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  key  elements  of  the  framework  

•  The  starCng  point  was  an  exisCng  framework  •  Tailored  to  Berkeley  Group’s  developments  •  Acknowledging  the  relaConship  with  wider  neighbourhoods  

•  Making  best  use  of  exisCng  data  •  Minimising  primary  data  collecCon  •  Scoring  by  range,  not  absolute  number.  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  framework  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  indicators  •  Three  dimensions,  

13  indicators,  underpinned  by  45  quesCons  

•  Majority  of  quesCons  from  naConally  recognised  surveys  or  industry  frameworks    

•  Small  number  created  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Benchmarking  

 Results  benchmarking  against  comparable  local  areas  using  well  established  psycho-­‐  geographic  categorisaCons:      -­‐  OAC  first  choice  -­‐  IMD  where  OAC  not  possible.    

The  Hamptons  OAC  categories  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Data  analysis  

•  Data  from  residents  survey  benchmarked  against  naConal  data,  z  scores  then  staCsCcally  tested  

•  Only  results  that  had  staCsCcal  significance  reported  •  Site  survey  data  assessed  against  industry  standards  •  Created  quesCons  assessed  separately  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Residents  survey:  598  interviews  across  four  developments  Analysis  of  naConal  data  Site  survey  Contextual  interviews  

TesCng  the  framework  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  headline  results  

When  residents  survey  responses  were  compared  to  benchmarks  for  comparable  places:    •  They  feel  they  belong    •  They  regularly  talk  to  their  neighbours    •  They  plan  to  stay  in  the  community    •  They  report  greater  feelings  of  safety  walking  alone  during  the  day  and  the  night.  

 Results  are  based  on  598  residents  interviews,  a  site  survey,  analysis  of  naConal  data  plus  corroboraCng  interviews  with  local  stakeholders.  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Empire  Square,  Bermondsey  Planning  consent  2002  Completed  2007  567  homes,  30%  affordable  Former  warehouses  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Empire  Square  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Empire  Square:  what  residents  value?  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

•  Pic  and  v  short  descripCon  Imperial  Wharf,  Fulham  Outline  permission  2000  To  be  completed  2013  1,428  homes,  47%  affordable  Former  gas  works  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Imperial  Wharf  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Imperial  Wharf:  what  residents  value?  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  Hamptons,  Worcester  Park  Outline  planning  2002,  final  phase  2009  Completed  2012  645  homes,  33%  affordable  Former  sewage  works  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  Hamptons  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  Hamptons:  what  residents  value?  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Knowle  

•  Pic  and  v  short  descripCon  Knowle  Village,  Hampshire  Planning  consent  2003  Completed  2010  701  homes,  31%  affordable  Former  warehouses  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Knowle  Village  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

Knowle  Village:  what  residents  value?  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

The  inner  city  developments  

•  Broadly  similar  responses  between  the  two  inner  city  sites  

•  Strikingly  similar  results  for  feelings  of  safety,  posiCve  contact  with  neighbours  and  residents’  ability  to  influence  

•  Safety  possibly  linked  to  stronger  social  networks  and  trust?  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

What  we  learnt  and  the  limitaCons  

•  Contextual  interviews  helpful  •  Snapshot  approach  can  be  powerful  •  ExisCng  data  has  gaps  •  Need  to  review  some  indicators  •  Methodology  needs  development  •  This  is  a  bespoke  framework.  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

•  We  can  measure  social  sustainability  relaCvely  easily  •  There  is  potenCal  to  develop  this  framework  •  New  housing  developments  can  thrive  relaCvely  quickly  •  New  housing  developments  can  feel  safe  in  areas  that  don’t.  

CAN WE BUILD PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER?

ImplicaCons      

•  ContribuCng  to  our  understanding  of  sustainability  •  PracCcal  lessons  in  creaCng  communiCes  that  work  •  Shiiing  thinking  about  placemaking  to  long  term  stewardship  

•  Intangibles,  lived  experience,  as  important  as  hard  infrastructure.