The University of Liverpool has joined forces with local community partners and researchers to launch the Neighbourhood Transformation Planning Tool (NTPT). The online interactive feature is designed to widen access and involve the community in developing new local assets such as office space, theatres, parks, and housing.
These assets will be run by communities, for communities, and are intended to be affordable and available to all for social gatherings, recreation, work and entertainment. They increase citizen participation and sense of belonging in an area, and can enhance wellbeing and quality of life.
The university project is funded by Research England through the University of Liverpool Public Policy Quality Related Scheme, and involves over 40 community partners.
Principal investigator, Dr Kerry Traynor, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Communication and Media said: “It’s been fantastic to come together as a community, share experiences and challenges, and explore ways forward.”
She added: “It’s important that support for the sector is underpinned by robust research, informed by lived experience of those involved in community development, and accessible, inclusive and relatable for small-scale developers, which is why we took a co-production approach to design of this tool.”
“It’s been a really valuable and timely process and an exciting time for community developers with lots of interesting opportunities ahead.”
The project could lead to the redevelopment of derelict buildings and underused areas of land, helping to enhance the civic pride in the area and also providing sustainable jobs. Liverpool has already seen significant investment and regeneration over the past couple of decades, particularly around the waterfront dockland areas.
For example, Bramley Moore Dock, the new stadium for Everton FC, is currently under construction and on course to open for the next football season. Elsewhere, Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter has established a credible reputation in the fields of life science, materials science, AI development and more.
Safe Regeneration Partnerships Director, Jane Dawe, who led engagement with city region stakeholders, said: “We’re really proud to strengthen our relationship with the University of Liverpool as the community engagement lead on this project.”
She added: “The community development sector is fantastically diverse, with communities developing all kinds of assets, from community meeting spaces, to workspaces and studios for creative practice, to retail spaces like bakeries, pubs and shops, to outdoor spaces like markets, parks and woodlands.”
“We’re delighted that so many diverse groups have already fed into development of the tool, and we’ll continue to listen to, and work with, stakeholders to develop it further in the years to come.”
Once the tool has been rolled out online, the creators will gather user feedback to refine it further, and the team will also work with other aspiring community asset developers across England and Wales to help them build and launch their own NTPT tools.