Transforming Neighbourhoods was a two-year programme of research, innovation and practical action carried out by the Young Foundation, with support from the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), between April 2005 and March 2007.
It was designed to encourage a major devolution of power to neighbourhoods and communities in England. It focused specifically on the Government's localism agenda that was then gathering pace.
A consortium of 15 local authorities took part in the programme. It was also supported by:
- the Local Government Association (LGA)
- Communities and Local Government
- the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)
- the Community Alliance
- the Housing Corporation
- the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Lessons from local work
'Transforming neighbourhoods: lessons from local work in 15 areas' summarises the lessons learned from the programme. It also describes how councils can put them into practice.
Published by the Young Foundation and the IDeA, this guide identifies four critical components of effective neighbourhood working:
- structures
- people
- process
- organisational culture
You can download this publication in pdf format, or read a summary online:
Summary of 'Transforming neighbourhoods: lessons from local work in 15 areas'
Download this publication from the Young Foundation website
Community empowerment
The Young Foundation and the IDeA have also published a book, 'Transforming neighbourhoods: A collection of stories about community empowerment'. It contains first-hand accounts of some of the most constructive examples of neighbourhood working revealed during the programme's research phase.
You can read a selection of stories from this publication by clicking on the titles below.
- Double devolution in Birmingham
- Working with the Charedi Jewish community in Haringey
- Who represents neighbourhoods? Building trust between the voluntary sector, officers and councillors in Liverpool
- Councillors of tomorrow: developing empowered councillor roles in Newham and Suffolk
- What is a neighbourhood? Getting a picture of natural neighbourhoods in Sheffield
- Encouraging behaviour change and civic responsibility in Staffordshire
- ‘People writing their own script' for services in Wakefield
- The 21st-century parish: rural innovation in Wiltshire
Printed copies of the publication are available from the Young Foundation website.
The Young Foundation: publications catalogue - 'Transforming neighbourhoods'
More about the programme
'Transforming neighbourhoods' was based on four workstreams:
- Research, which looked at how power can be successfully transferred to communities
- Practical projects in 15 local areas, intended to support community empowerment and improve neighbourhood working
- Influencing policy, by drawing on experience and evidence from local projects to develop policy recommendations for central and local government
- Innovation, through developing developing practical tools for neighbourhoods
For more information about the Transforming Neighbourhoods project, and the Young Foundation's current programme of work on neighbourhoods, visit their website.