As part of our promise to create better places to live, we’re designing our developments to provide opportunities for residents to get to know each other and for communities to grow together and thrive.
Why is community important?
To understand why community and neighourhoods are so important, we spoke to clinical psychologist Dr Annette Schlösser, a lecturer at The University of Hull, on the psychology of community.
Dr Schlösser, who specialises in supporting families and children, believes we can boost our own mental and physical well-being by building lasting relationships with our neighbours and others in our wider community.
She says: “When we ask ‘what is community?’, we could argue every family is a small community or perhaps even our extended family or our school, but for many of us it’s our immediate neighbourhood.... Creating opportunities for richness of interaction is key. Providing green spaces, wilder areas of nature, play areas, shops and schools within new communities ensures that different parts of the community regularly overlap. People start to build a routine, where they bump into the same people every day - whether you’re walking the dog or at the playground - and that creates opportunities for small conversations to evolve into longer ones over time.”
A Better Way to Live
At Redrow, we believe that really good places to live are only created when the design concept starts with the needs and aspirations of you - the people who will live there.
That’s why we include plenty of green spaces at all our developments, to be enjoyed by people and nature alike such as village greens, play areas, wildlife habitats, nature trails and parkland.
The Redrow 8: Building thriving communities
To ensure every development we create becomes a thriving community we follow these eight principles:
1. WE LISTEN TO LEARN
Developments are designed around the needs of the surrounding community and what new homeowners are looking for. This helps us to design sensitively and respond to local needs.
2. WE KEEP IT LOCAL
Every area has its own sense of identity. We embrace the individual makeup of a neighbourhood in the design of all our developments.
3. WE MAKE PLACES EASY TO GET AROUND
Life is much simpler when you’re well-connected to the places you want to go. We create new walking and cycling routes for a happier, healthier way of life.
4. WE CREATE PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO
There’s so much more to our developments than just new homes - like playgrounds, allotments, outdoor gyms and nature trails (to name a few!).
5. WE PROVIDE NATURE FOR PEOPLE
Developments incorporate wildlife habitats. So there’s always a green space nearby where you can immerse yourself in nature - which is proven to boost your mood!
6. WE DESIGN STREETS FOR LIFE
We take time designing our streets, homes and landscaping to be safe and friendly, so people can feel proud of their neighbourhood.
7. WE BUILD HOMES FOR ALL
By providing a variety of homes on our developments, from one to five-bedroom homes, we’re helping to create diverse, vibrant and sustainable communities.
8. WE BUILD TO IMPRESS
We create stunning entrances and distinctive new homes with superb kerb appeal and interest around every corner - from our classic Heritage Collection to the modern Inspired Collection.
WHAT OUR HOMEOWNERS SAY
Sharon Stewart, who lives with her husband Andy at The Hedgerows in Lancashire, said: “When we first moved in, we were invited to a welcome party held by Redrow so we could meet our new neighbours and we had an instant bond with them all. Three years down the line we have celebrated births, weddings, birthdays and BBQs together. A lot of residents have dogs so while walking our Border Terrier, Bonnie, we have become close with other dog-walkers."
“Redrow build their developments so its residents can make the most of the local area. There is plenty of greenery, so it feels like a well-established development and we have Cuerden Valley Park on our doorstep too which is perfect for dog walks.”
Find your nearest Redrow development to find your dream home and join a thriving community.
