The Project
In 2017 we were asked by the Local Trust to explore reports from Big 
Local groups about the challenges they were facing with regeneration going on in their areas. This kickstarted a 2 1/2 year project culminating in a set of products called “Developing Potential”.
The Team
- Helen Nicol - project lead, research, facilitation, author
- Paul Raven - author
- Myra Stuart - research
The Products
We used an action research approach to understand the challenges each Big Local area was facing and to work with the groups to make positive changes and build stronger working relationships with developers and councils.
Interviews, workshops and meetings with community groups residents, landlords, developers and other stakeholders have informed both the guide for communities and the research paper.
Our research indicated that power was not being shared with community groups, so that their experiences were rarely truly participative. Our recommendations to local government and developers were designed to address this and enable community groups to fully engage in regeneration and development.
The Developing Potential products are:
- A guide to regeneration for communities
- A lessons learned report with recommendations for local government
- A series of 5 case studies describing the regeneration experiences of Big Local areas
These products were launched in January 2019 in London at an event attended by developers, community groups and thought leaders. A podcast of the event was also created by the Local Trust.
