image for illustration: North Manchester General Hospital by Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The University of Manchester reports on a major new study says older people must have a greater say in shaping the future of their communities
The University of Manchester writes:
Large-scale regeneration schemes risk creating a sense of ‘cultural displacement’ among older residents unless existing communities are involved in shaping the neighbourhoods where they live, a report from The University of Manchester has suggested. The researchers say regeneration must do more than build new homes and infrastructure, with investment also needed in the community centres, faith spaces, local shops and other places where existing residents form relationships and find support.
The warning comes from a new study examining the experiences of older people in North Manchester, where a series of regeneration projects worth billions of pounds are set to transform the area over the coming decades. The research found that many older residents have a strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhoods and want to remain living there as they grow older. However, some fear that regeneration could lead to gentrification, rising housing costs and the loss of familiar community spaces, leaving existing residents excluded from the benefits of investment and creating divisions between communities. The researchers say the findings have implications for regeneration projects across the UK, particularly as the population becomes older and more ethnically diverse.
Key findings
- Many older residents want to ‘age in place’ in the communities where they have built their lives, but many feel excluded from discussions about the future of their neighbourhoods.
- Residents expressed concerns that regeneration could lead to gentrification, exclusion and division, and questioned whether new homes and amenities would benefit existing communities.
- Community spaces, local shops and faith settings provide vital social infrastructure, helping older people maintain social connections and access informal support.
- Everyday encounters between people from different ethnic, cultural and generational backgrounds help create belonging, familiarity and continuity as neighbourhoods change.
- The researchers warn that regeneration should protect and strengthen existing communities, with investment directed towards community organisations as well as new buildings and infrastructure.
North Manchester is undergoing one of the largest programmes of urban regeneration in the country. The £6 billion North Manchester Strategy includes the redevelopment of North Manchester General Hospital, a new mental health facility and the Victoria North housing development, while other major schemes are planned across the area. Victoria North alone is expected to deliver up to 15,000 new homes over 15 to 20 years, and has been selected as one of the Government’s New Towns Initiative sites.
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