We are pleased to launch the LPIP Hub’s latest evidence review, Communities in their Places, which brings together academic and policy evidence on the role of communities in shaping economic, social and environmental outcomes across the UK. This review provides a timely ‘state-of-play’ on how communities interact with place-based policy, and offers insights to support local partnerships in designing more effective interventions. At a time of economic uncertainty, ongoing debates around devolution / local governance reorganisation and environmental pressures, understanding the role of communities in driving local outcomes is of crucial importance.
Understanding what we mean by “community”
A key starting point for the review is recognising that “community” is a widely used but contested concept. There is no single agreed definition: communities may be based on place, shared interests, identity, a common policy, a common history or social/ economic / political interests or common characteristics, with individuals often belonging to multiple overlapping communities at once.
This complexity has important implications for policy. Because communities are diverse, overlapping and constantly evolving, understanding how different groups define and experience “community” is essential for designing effective engagement approaches.
At the same time, communities are often associated with positive ideas of belonging, shared identity and mutual support. However, these positive associations can coexist with more complex or negative interpretations, including associations with ‘problem areas’ or ‘problem sub-groups’, and variation in how communities are experienced across groups.
Communities as central to place-based change
The review demonstrates that communities can play a crucial role in addressing local challenges and driving place-based change. Their lived experience, local knowledge and social networks provide valuable insights that can inform more responsive and effective policy.
While communities are often positioned as partners in development, the evidence suggests they can also act as a dynamic economic and democratic force, driving local economic and social outcomes.
They have the potential to act as economic and democratic actors, contributing to local wealth creation, wellbeing and social cohesion.
Evidence from the review also highlights the role of community businesses in particular. These organisations can generate both social and economic value through activities such as local job creation, ownership and local wealth building. While their scale and capacity vary, they can make a meaningful contribution to inclusive economic growth and a sense of belonging, especially in areas with lower levels of trust in mainstream institutions.
Uneven capacity across places
Despite the potential of communities to drive change, the review finds that their capacity to do so varies significantly across local areas. A key factor shaping this variation is access to resources, including funding, skills, leadership and social infrastructure.
Community strength is often latent and requires deliberate investment to develop. Without sustained support, communities may struggle to engage effectively or influence decision-making processes. In many cases, reliance on short-term or competitive funding creates instability, limiting the ability of initiatives to build momentum and deliver long-term impact.
The evidence therefore emphasises the importance of long-term investment in community capacity, including the development of relationships, skills and institutional support. This is essential for enabling communities to shape their own futures and respond to local challenges over time.
Different approaches across the UK
The review highlights important differences in how community engagement is supported across the four nations of the UK.
- England tends towards flexible, non-statutory guidance, often linked to regeneration and devolution agendas.
- Scotland adopts a more structured, rights-based engagement approach to community empowerment.
- Wales embeds engagement within broader commitments to equality, collaboration and wellbeing.
- Northern Ireland emphasises statutory collaboration with the voluntary sector, inclusive planning, and participatory governance, underpinned by long-running neighbourhood renewal strategies. Community planning is required as a statutory, collaborative process, positioning local councils as conveners of multi-agency partnerships.
These differing approaches reflect distinct priorities and institutional contexts, and they shape how communities are able to influence public services, local development and policy outcomes.
What enables effective place-based approaches?
Across the evidence, a number of common factors are identified as central to effective place-based interventions involving communities. These include:
- Senior sponsorship and partner commitment, supported by strategic, long-term investment
- Working towards clearly defined, shared outcomes
- Active community participation, including through mechanisms such as citizens’ assemblies and juries
- Strong partnerships between communities, local authorities, and other stakeholders
A key insight is that successful interventions depend on a combination of top-down leadership and bottom-up engagement. National and sub-national government play a critical enabling role by providing funding, governance frameworks, and coordination. At the same time, communities are central to shaping and delivering interventions, drawing on their lived experience and local knowledge to ensure approaches are grounded, responsive, and sustainable
From evidence to future action
This evidence review forms part of a wider programme of work within the LPIP Hub, aimed at strengthening place-based partnerships and improving policy outcomes. It identifies key questions for further exploration, including how to ensure community engagement is adequately resourced, how to support representative participation, and how to design engagement processes that remain meaningful within practical constraints.
A call to action
The findings of the review are clear: strong, empowered communities are essential for driving positive place-based change.
However, realising this potential requires sustained commitment. Short-term or fragmented approaches are unlikely to deliver lasting impact. Instead, long-term investment in people, relationships and local capacity and infrastructure is needed to enable communities to lead, innovate and collaborate effectively.
This blog was written by Dr Abigail Taylor, Research Fellow, City-REDI, University of Birmingham.
Find out more about the Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this analysis post are those of the author and not necessarily those of City-REDI or the University of Birmingham.