Whole-place design
Covid demonstrated the resilience and relevance of the whole-place stewardship model, which creates vibrant neighbourhoods with a blend of uses that keep the place alive throughout the day. The recent trend is towards increasingly localised lives, as we spend more time in our communities and working from home. This puts a greater emphasis on complete neighbourhoods that are local and walkable, with a mix of life-giving ingredients. As such, our communities are reinforced as places of social interaction, cultural and commercial activity, with efficient public transport systems, sustained by a critical mass of people, density of homes and increased local expenditure.
The placemaking value of non-residential uses cannot be underestimated. A long-term horizon and a multi-generational investment approach has enabled the Duchy of Cornwall to curate a diverse mix of small and medium sized independent retailers across their developments. In Nansledan, sustainable rental structures have been offered to businesses that have taken up premises early in the development, which has helped to de-risk the process of setting up shop and has enabled businesses to grow over time. This has started to create a stronger and more diversified local economy, which is expected to develop further as the Duchy looks to progress the first phase of Nansledan’s High Street in 2023/2024 (“Market Street”). Looked at in isolation, the short-term financial return on these commercial spaces can be constrained, but they have been shown to add value in the long-term through rental and capital growth, house price growth, and job creation.
"If you can enable people to live, work and play close to where their children are at school, you give families time back in their day and money back in their pockets. This is incredibly important to family and child development."
Gail Mayhew, Director at Smart Growth Associates
New retail spaces, a fitness studio and a café all opened at Nansledan during the pandemic. In this tight knit place, people want to support their local shops and services, adding a further sense of community.
Local job creation allows people to live more locally and sustainably as they reduce the need to travel. Poundbury has delivered some 2,300 homes of the eventual 2,730. Over 2,650 jobs have been established with more to come, providing over 1.15 jobs per home, which is testament to the landowner’s commitment to curate a blended mixed-use environment with a range of businesses. Gail Mayhew hails this as a remarkable achievement with a strong family dimension: “If you can enable people to live, work and play close to where their children are at school, you give families time back in their day and money back in their pockets. This is incredibly important to family and child development.”
Walkability is an essential component of community developments that are people centric, inclusive, integrated, and sustainable. More granular and local movement comes with economic, social and wellbeing benefits, as residents are encouraged to leave the car behind and pick up muscle-powered environmentally friendly alternatives, pop into cafés and shops, and interact with neighbours. Pedestrian friendly communities are inherently more inclusive, knitting and weaving more homes and people into their catchment, welcoming all independent of age or car ownership.
A choice of homes — a mix of typologies, tenures and affordable options — that appeal to many different people creates diverse and inclusive communities, which according to Lucy Greenwood has been proven to be beneficial and add value for everyone. Choice supports liveability long-term, as it allows people to age, grow a family, upsize and downsize within their neighbourhood. Longevity also supports community spirit and place identity, which is nurtured through shared experiences and a sense of belonging.