The event focussed on a group discussion with a lot of audience participation around the topic of how we move beyond housing by numbers to really focus on delivering health and wellbeing. Speakers included representatives from; Legal & General, Muse, Homes England and Manchester City Council. The fishbowl discussion allowed the whole audience to get involved with developing ideas and points of view. We certainly went away with a lot of food for thought!
Almost all of the ideas and discussion on the day focussed on large scale regeneration projects, which is not directly relatable to the scale of development that Chapter and the rest of the SME sector are involved in every day, but the priorities for those who live in our completed developments are just the same.
Whether it be improving air quality, encouraging walking and cycling within a new development, the importance of placemaking or remembering the importance of infrastructure and public realm, the question we went away with is how do we find a way to contribute to our residents' quality of life in our smaller scale developments? We think the answer starts with quality of design; well designed, energy efficient, bright and light homes with quality private and communal open space. Small improvements to the public realm via s278 can also make a real difference to the local community. We also hope that by focussing on the quality and design of our sites, we set the standard for future development in the areas we work, which over time can lead to better designed communities.
We can't wait for the next Quality of Life event!