The Future of Life in London: Putting People First
In the second instalment of our Future of Life in London mini-series, we look at another recurring theme from our recent webinar with renowned property journalist, Anne Ashworth, and Knight Frank’s Seb Warner – community, and how the pandemic has shown us the importance of putting people first when it comes to designing places.
In a face of a loneliness epidemic across many cities, our innate craving for connection and community was certainly put to the test as we were confined to our homes. In the capital, a far friendlier place than we often give it credit for, lockdown shone fresh light on the strength of our communities. The good news stories of neighbours helping neighbours were in abundance. As Kerri notes, people were exposed to the breadth of their community in a way they wouldn’t have before, particularly the positives it can have on their own lives, referencing the new initiatives and activity groups that cropped among residents across Greenwich Peninsula over lockdown. For many, the experience has helped us recognise what we value most - our support networks, whether that’s our families, friends, colleagues, or even gym buddies.
This has highlighted the need, and buyers’ desire, for areas with a strong neighbourhood feel, and a variety of community-focused spaces nearby, both indoor and out - not just for a little escapism from the increased time at home, but also as places to meet and spend time with our various support networks.
As we settle into this more localised way of living, our lockdown spirit is set to stick around. Indeed, for homebuyers, a sense of community has already become a priority as important as factors like transport links and connectivity.
This presents an exciting opportunity for developers to create, as Anne put it, “the great neighbourhoods of the future”, with green spaces and public realm designed to bring communities together, and with amenities they want and need. She looks to Grosvenor Square as a prime example, built as a little town in the 18th century, but, most importantly, with the future community front of mind.
Want to hear more from our panel of experts? You can watch the full conversation at the bottom of the page.
Don’t forget to look out for the third and final feature in our mini-series, where we look at how our relationship with our homes and how they need to flex and adapt to our changing lifestyles.
