This project, funded by Power to Change, considers the role that the private sector plays in the provision of spaces – both planned and unplanned – that form key parts of the social infrastructure of our communities.
When we think of social infrastructure, we often think of spaces specifically designed to bring communities together such as village halls, community centres, libraries, and parks. Generally publicly funded, they are widely recognised as playing a key role in providing people with a sense of belonging, fostering feelings of connection, and acting as a bulwark against particular local social problems.
It is no surprise, therefore, that these are the spaces that public sector strategies often focus on, and that communities’ campaign to protect when difficult funding decisions are made. In the last decade, direct community ownership for these spaces has increased, reflecting their value to local people.
And yet, as our recent research shows, there are a range of spaces that provide these benefits (and more), which are rarely considered as social infrastructure despite the importance local people place on them – spaces like supermarkets, pubs, cafes, and shopping centres. There is a need to identify these opportunities and understand the policy implications for including them in conversations around social infrastructure.
The Bennett Institute and Power to Change are collaboratively exploring the current and possible future role of privately owned commercial spaces and how communities could become more involved in their development as social infrastructure.
Our research aims to address a number of important questions:
- How can the public sector encourage businesses to strengthen their social role in order to fulfil local needs and policy objectives?
- Given the private sector is driven by profit, what are the (commercial) incentives for retailers to function as social infrastructure and for private property owners to provide space for communities?
- What conditions are necessary to foster successful partnerships between the private sector and local communities?
This project seeks to provide some possible answers to help communities, local authorities, and businesses create and maintain the kind of privately owned spaces that communities need and value.
