Policy & Research
In order to direct the research to areas of of focus for the delivery of commercial projects via Community Capital, we've a strong engagement with planning and development Policy work in the United Kingdom, empowering communities to better understand their role in the processes and better present their feelings.
Alternatively we work directly with developers and communities to implement our successful Enquiry By Design process which helps represent all pillars of the Community Capital model within the design and development process to help create an effective and sustainable development.
Research projects have always underpinned our work , and their findings steer our vision of developments with greater Community Capital and our education work. We've produced a number of acclaimed papers to help both communities and developers better grasp the importance of Community Capital; we also use this thinking as the foundation for various of our courses, events and members activities.
The Research is often done in partnership with other organisations in order to help share the learning into wider audiences, or delivered with the assistance of our professional members. The findings are implemented in developments far and wide. from Haiti to Atlanta; from India to China. The use of the Research shows not only the ubiquitous relevance of well-integrated community-centred development but also the enormously positive impact we're having around the globe.
Policy in action
Affordable Rural Housing Initiative – Moving Forward, 2010
The most recent guide provides ideas and recommendations for those who wish to be involved in the provision of rural affordable housing. It demonstrates that the policy framework has never been more supportive and calls for action on the implementation of these solutions from businesses, local authorities and rural communities themselves.
The publication of the most recent guide, in June 2009, marks the handover of responsibility for taking ARHI forward from Business in the Community toourselves, who will be able to provide support on planning, design and implementation.
For more info visit: http://www.bitc.org.uk/princes_programmes/rural_action/sustainable_rural_communities/affordable_housing.html
Each year the Prince’s Foundation produces an account of its activities, achievements and strategic direction. An archive of recent reports will be available for download soon.
Planning Healthcare and Infrastructure
Following on from the development of the PHI tool (Planning HealthCare & Infrastructure) which created a framework to help Commissioners resource efficient and sustainable solutions in healthcare, we're collaborating with healthcare bodies to develop a way of improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary costs in healthcare location. This can be done by creating a strategic design process to aid the communication and delivery of the health system to communities.
Case Study Example: Kings NHS Pilot Workshop - Executive Report
Case Study Example: Barnet NHS Pilot Workshop - Executive Report
Prince of Wales' Affordable Rural Housing Initiative (ARHI)
HRH The Prince of Wales’ Affordable Rural Housing Initiative (ARHI) has helped to build greater recognition of the effect that a lack of affordable housing has on the social and economic well-being of our rural communities; and has engages businesses in finding practical solutions.
Launched in June 2003 and led by the Business in the Community (BITC) charity, the ARHI identifies where businesses could assist in the delivery of rural housing; identifying barriers to greater private sector involvement; and gathering and spreading good practice. This has included producing a series of guides for business, a report that fed directly into the Government’s Affordable Rural Housing Commission in 2006 and a national pilot project involving 10 water companies.
We wrote Design Guidance to demonstrate how new affordable rural housing could contribute to and endorse the character of the traditional village and market town settings. The guidance illustrated several principles towhich commissioners and promoters of affordable housing should work towards, to ensure acceptable designs are brought forward.
The Prince's House Project
The Prince's House is a high-profile build project currently under construction at the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Innovation Park and in collaboration with the BRE, Natural Building Technologies and Kingerlee Homes. The house will demonstrate that the most effective route to a low energy, low carbon building is through an effective building envelope.
Strategic Land Investment Model
This study presents a challenge to traditional private sector housing models. It promotes a longer term investment model for new development that helps deliver broader social, economic and environmental outcomes through increasing amenity provision and promoting long term management strategies.
Supply Chains Paper
This paper was produced for the Prince’s Foundation Annual Conference in 2010. The event took as its theme how low-energy design for residential buildings can be used to stimulate regional manufacturing and local construction markets. Taking a single construction product, the insulating aerated clay block employed at the Prince’s Foundation “Natural House”, the paper calculates the financial benefits of more localised production methods and drawing upon a local construction skills base.
Tall Buildings Programme
Many people believe that the only way to achieve environmental efficiencies is to build tall buildings but is this true? Our research shows that there is a different way!
Find out how Green your neighbourhood is and the factors that are important in assessing it.
VIsit the Tall Buildings Programme site
Valuing Sustainable Urbanism
This report, produced in collaboration with Savills Residential Research in June 2007, presented the commercial case for sustainable, mixed use development. It's been written with two audiences in view – property investors, developers and landowners on the one hand and public authorities on the other. As well as calculating a higher market dividend for sustainable development, the report sets out measurable benefits in terms of health, the environment, increasing social cohesion and reducing crime.