What friendly Brummies want from their homes next year – great green space, independent shops, schools and healthcare facilities, good quality housing – and safe spaces for children to play out ‘til tea
New research has been released today, showing what people want from their neighbourhoods in 2021, with Brummies placing a desire for green space, local shops, independent cafes, great schools and healthcare facilities at the top of their wish lists.
Commissioned by the modern housebuilder House by Urban Splash, a survey of 2,000 respondents asked what people want from their homes and neighbourhoods in 2021. 42% of Brummies stated they want to live in a community rich in green space – but just a third (31%) currently have access to it. Brummies also ranked local shops and cafés of great importance with 37% of respondents citing these as an ideal feature of a neighbourhood.
The results found that 40% of people in Birmingham want good quality housing in their neighbourhood, but only 27% currently have access to this.
Respondents also want safe outdoor spaces for children to play. Alarmingly, just 14% of respondents felt they currently have a safe space in their neighbourhood where their children can play outdoors.
House by Urban Splash homes are currently on sale in Birmingham at Port Loop, the neighbourhood being created by the joint venture partners Urban Splash and Places for People. House by Urban Splash’s Toby Brown said: “Sustainable communities are created through a mix of people, spaces and uses – places in which people can live, work and play.”
“Future neighbourhoods must focus on the whole neighbourhood and not just the home itself. Neighbourhoods with generous shared gardens, parks, access to the water and safe places to play. It’s abundantly clear that’s what people want especially when it comes to families.”
“Port Loop, with the Floating Front Room, South Street Park and surrounded by canal on all sides, is an exemplar of the kind of location people need and are hunting for.”
The survey also found that two thirds of Brummies are eco-conscious, but half of those find the high cost a barrier to adapting their homes and lifestyles to be more sustainable; Toby continued: “Buyers today are quite clearly eco-conscious, with this year compounding their need for homes that are built sustainably and are cheap to run and good for the planet. Using Modern Methods of Construction we build homes that are green by default.”
The research has fed into House by Urban Splash ‘s new manifesto, called ‘Live Well by Design’, that sets out ten principles for successful future neighbourhoods focusing on design, wellbeing, choice and sustainability.
Toby continued: “Our ethos is ‘Live Well by Design’, and people can really do that at Port Loop; there’s green space and shared areas that encourage community – it’s obvious from these results that’s what Brummies want and at places like Port Loop we’re proud to be creating it.”
As a company, House believes that successful neighbourhoods fulfil more than people’s housing needs, and that neighbourhood design can create great places to live. A sustainable neighbourhood offers balance – community when it’s wanted, but also privacy when needed. A housebuilder can’t build a ready-made community, but good design can create the perfect conditions for people to grow their own.
For more information about the new Live Well by Design manifesto by House by Urban Splash, visit https://www.housebyurbansplash.co.uk/live-well-by-design
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