To investigate successful resident participation strategies in neighbourhood renewal of public housing

Developing social housing systems that genuinely listen to customers and community has long been at the heart of Julie Blake’s work. Her project focused on investigating successful resident participation strategies in large-scale neighbourhood social housing estate renewal projects, with specific reference to Scotland, Ireland and the UK. Addressing increasing spatial concentration of poverty and disadvantage in large social housing estates where the homes have been poorly maintained, and where globalisation has taken away the jobs and the hope is complex. Social housing renewal projects at a staggering scale are transforming communities across the UK and Ireland. However, a new building and a new neighbour does not equate to an overnight transition to economic and social wealth for the pre-existing residents. Central to the success of these projects is the commitment to engage with residents and other community members, to build everyone’s capacity to participate, and to use the large contracts to build pathways to training and work as well as creating a place to live to be proud of. Keywords: Community empowerment, resident engagement, community engagement, public housing renewal, social housing regeneration, place-making.