2. CHALLENGES
• define ‘communities’ for this purpose
• define ‘connected’
• ensure that we are adding to past
research, not duplicating it
• this means creating a perspective
which, ultimately allows us to say
something new about the ‘wicked
problems’ of the urban research field
3. Wicked problems
• inner city regeneration
• ‘poor’ towns – e.g. seaside towns
• responding to climate change
• unemployment, long-term sickness – benefits issues
• poor quality housing stock; homelessness
• ‘failing’ schools
• variations in levels of health provision: costs in the health
service
• care of the elderly
• crime, prisons
• multiple deprivation
– long-term unemployment, NEETs
– failed in, or failed by, the education system
– health, obesity etc consequences
4. An example: outer London area
student flows to university
Legend
20 students
50 students
100 students
200+ students
5. Inner London area student flows to
university
Legend
20 students
50 students
100 students
200+ students
6. Inner and outer London areas student flows to university
(Prospering Suburbs)
Legend
20 students
50 students
100 students
200+ students
7. Inner and outer London areas student flows to university (Blue
Collar Communities)
Legend
20 students
50 students
100 students
200+ students
8. Interdependence
• many of the questions are linked:
– housing problems, which are often seen as
problems of housing supply
• but are actually usually income problems,
• and income problems are often
education/skill problems
– the wicked education/multiple deprivation
problems are in a sense income problems – so
there is a vicious circle here
– the prison problem is a mix of the cycle of
deprivation, unemployment and poor
income and poor mental health and
education facilities in prisons
10. CONNECTEDNESS
• communities can be connected to
– jobs
– income
– education
– health
– culture
– etc.
– usually in other ‘places’
11. CORE TO THE RESEARCH?
• show how different kinds of communities
have different kinds of ‘connectedness
bundles’
• what are the levels of connectedness and
the rates and kinds of change in these
levels for different kinds of communities?
• what does this mean for the future of
education e.g.?
• does multliple deprivation result from the
lack of connectedness?
12. RESEARCHABLE PROBLEMS?
• to make this worthwhile, we need to focus on the
big issues – the wicked problems
• shouldn’t be too micro and fragmented
• but have to recognise that this field has been
ploughed many times, seeds have been sown;
but progress has been poor
• does this need some very different kind of
research? Action research? cf. an organisation
like Turning Point?
• research for communities rather than
research on communities
• focus: how to raise levels of connectedness?
13. RCUK Proposed Research
Programme on ‘Connected
Communities’
Professor Shearer West,
Director of Research, AHRC &
Chair, Cross-Council Connected
Communities Working Group
14. Vision
To enhance economic
prosperity, health,
sustainability and wellbeing in
increasingly inter-connected,
mobile and diverse
communities by systematically
addressing the opportunities
and challenges they face
through multidisciplinary
research.
15. What do we mean by ‘Community’?
• For the purposes of this Programme, and subject to
further consultation, we are currently thinking of
‘communities’ as:
“cooperative or interactive groups sharing a virtual or
physical environment and aspects of identity (such
as location, race, ethnicity, age, history, occupation),
culture, belief or other common bonds and/or a
shared interest in particular issues or outcomes”.
• We recognise that such communities are nested and
overlap and are interested both in the
relationships within these communities and the
interactions between communities and their
outcomes for broader society and economy.
16. Possible Approaches to Exploring Communities
Types of Community
•Lifecycle (e.g. children, adolescence, older people etc)
•Social, cultural economic group, ethic origin, class, religion etc
•Spatial / temporal location, neighbourhood, rural/urban etc
•Method of connection e.g. Virtual Community
Cross-cutting Themes Method / Approach to study
e.g. e.g.
•Addiction •Systems, models complexity
•Crime Connected •Case studies (initiatives,
Communities neighbourhoods, areas etc)
•Health & well-being
•Community Values •Sustainability assessment
•Design for communities •Participatory research
•Synthesis & data integration
Underpinning factors e.g. infrastructure, ecosystems services
Drivers of Change e.g. Environmental, Population,
Technological , Cultural Change, Globalisation, etc
17. Why Connected?
In terms of the research it will examine:
• The changing connections - and
disconnections - between individuals &
groups within communities & the (dis-)
connections between different
communities.
• The connections between communities
and their broader environments
• The connections between research
issues often considered in isolation to
deliver more integrated
understanding of the roles of,
and impacts on, communities.
18. Connecting Issues
Health and
well-being
Local
Infrastructure
environment
& services
& sustainability
Connected
Communities Innovation &
Social Diversity
economic
& Cohesion
development
Vibrant
Empowerment
Culture
& Participation
19. Why Connected?
In terms of how the Programme will
achieve its objectives through
connecting:
• existing research & researchers,
knowledge and data from across
disciplines to deliver more
integrated understanding
• UK and international research
• researchers & stakeholders in the
co-production of knowledge
and knowledge exchange
• research with (& for)
communities
20. Why now?
• The global economic crisis will increase reliance on
strong, culturally vibrant & cohesive communities that
can embrace diversity.
• Communities have a vital role to play in providing the
capacity to enable the UK to accelerate out of the
recession
• Economic downturn may create tensions, stresses,
disaffection , crime and other problems within
communities. We should anticipate, in order to prevent,
these problems.
• Research emerging from areas such as energy,
the environment, security and lifelong health is
highlighting the increasing significance of
understanding communities
21. Policy Context
• Connected Communities is relevant to at least
half of the 30 PSA targets, including:
- 14. Increase the number of children and young
people on the path to success
- 18. Promote better health and wellbeing for all
- 21. Build more cohesive, empowered & active
communities
- 23. Make communities safer
- 25. Reduce the harm caused by alcohol & drugs
Most of these PSA targets are not covered
by other RCUK Programmes
22. Examples of Potential Research Questions
• How could quality of life be
enhanced through the development
of vibrant & diverse cultural
environments, & supportive
inclusive social, family & community
networks?
• How could more attractive, resilient,
safe and sustainable community
environments in which to live be
created?
23. Examples of Potential Research Questions
• How could public services &
institutional reform be delivered to
better meet the diverse & evolving
needs of individuals & communities?
• How can the challenges to healthy
living, physical & mental well-being,
particularly in social sub-groups with
lower connectivity and/or social
support, be addressed more
effectively?
24. Examples of Potential Research Questions
• How could trust, a sense of
belonging, active citizenship, civic
values, public participation and
democratic processes within
modern communities be enhanced
best be supported?
• What new approaches could be
taken to tackle urban crime and
anti-social behaviour, and promote
community safety and civic
responsibility?
25. Examples of Potential Research Questions
• What role can communities play in
accelerating progress towards more
environmentally sustainable and a
more resource efficient society
• How might planning, design and
infrastructure within complex,
interactive, evolving urban systems
be improved to better meet
changing societal & community
needs?
26. Examples of Potential Research Questions
• What new approaches could be
taken to tackle addiction, including
the increased use of narcotics and
other drugs, taking into account the
inter-play between biological factors,
individual decisions & social &
cultural contexts?
• How can pressures toward social
disintegration and the problems it
causes be counteracted?
27. Examples of Potential Research Questions
• How could creativity, innovation &
enterprise, clusters, social &
cultural capital and creative,
cultural & service industries be
fostered more effectively in
communities to underpin
competitiveness and urban &
neighbourhood economic
renewal?
28. Examples of how an RCUK Connected
Communities Programme could Add Value
• Facilitate cross-Council multi- & inter- disciplinary
collaborations on key societal issues not
addressed under current RCUK Programmes.
• Promote more integrated approaches e.g. by
drawing together current research and data;
through developing systems, integrated
assessment & participatory approaches; and
community case studies etc
• Provide a new focus on the community level of
analysis & on changing patterns of connectivity.
• Promote co-production of knowledge and
partnerships.
• Act as a focus for KT, public engagement
& international collaboration.
29. How we are Developing the Programme
• Cross-Council Working Group with representatives
from AHRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC.
• Analysing relevant inputs to individual Councils’
future strategy consultations
• Building on consultation and development activities
undertaken in a number of areas (e.g. Sustainable
Urban Environments, Addiction, Civility, Energy
and Communities).
• Consultation with some key stakeholders (e.g.
Communities & Local Government, Home
Office, Ministry of Justice, Office for the
Third Sector, Equality and Human Rights
Commission).
30. How we are Developing the Programme
• Consultation event with Local Government held on 1
June 2009 in partnership with LARCI.
• Today’s cross-Council expert consultation workshop.
• Councils to review outcomes of consultations in
developing their new Delivery Plans
• Plan to establish an expert working/advisory group.
• Consider potential early activities to stimulate
development activities such as ‘highlight notices’ e.g.
in research networking schemes.
• Possible further more focused consultation activities
to develop new initiative proposals.