//08
Socio-economic Impact 8.1
At a local level, the development has had a significant impact on the lives of the new and existing members of the community. “There’s a feeling of things happening, of life coming back to Kings Crescent again,” says resident Jill Walker-Murrain. “And it makes me smile. I love it. We’d been fighting for the regeneration for so many years and a lot of us were quite worn out.” - Walker-Murrain Resident for 38 years (Moore, 2018) Using criteria set out in the National Design Guide that looks at how developments can create “beautiful, enduring and successful places” (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2021). The evaluation of Kings Crescents socio-economic success was measured against the 10 characteristics of well designed places outlined in figure 16.
The quality of life for its residents is directly improved through a contemporary model of sustainable estate regeneration. There is diversity created from mixed tenures. The mixed public spaces in figure 17 highlight the benefits to the character and social aspects of the place. Refurbishment ensured the existing character was retained. There is an emphasis on creating high quality public spaces that prioritises people over vehicles. It provides the residents with pleasant stop and rest points, green spaces, community growing space and play streets and parks in a safe environment. Future development in stages 3 & 4 look to build on the existing successes. There will be new civic and social infrastructure implemented with a community centre, workspaces and shops. This will be beneficial for the estate residents and wider community (HDA, 2020).
As a local authority led development, the use of community input to inform the scheme was essential to the success of the development. “Local communities can play a vital role in achieving well-designed places and buildings and making sure there is a relationship between the built environment and quality of life.” (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2021) The consultations with residents throughout, allowed for the interests of the residents to directly influence integral components of the project, from the configuration of streets down to the detailed specification of home interiors (Wilson, 2018)
30
Figure 16. Characteristics (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2021)
