Improving neighbourhood quality of life through effective consultation processes in the UK: learnings from the project Community Consultation for Quality of Life

Abstract

The paper explores how the process of community consultation in planning can enhance the Quality of Life (QOL) in neighbourhoods, while also helping to collect data on the types of location that contribute to the QOL of individual and communities utilising the QOL Foundation Framework. It draws on the project Community Consultation for QOL, a UK Research & Innovation–funded project involving experimental planning consultations in each of the four nations of the UK. Having described the rationale for the project and the methods used by the team it sets out a range of ways in which inclusive, map-based, planning consultation can contribute to QOL by offering empowering opportunities to ‘be heard’ as well as a range of spillover benefits in terms of connecting people and organisations, knowledge exchange and sociability. Amongst other findings, the project adds to the body of evidence that shows the vital role that ‘nature’ in the built environment plays in QOL.