Why are effective place communications vital in delivering ambitious economic development projects? (A Cambridge, UK case study).
In the UK, the university cities of Cambridge and Oxford have been identified as key potential drivers of both regional and national economic growth. But growth means development, and making cities bigger - especially historic ones - often encounters significant opposition from residents.
So, what’s the role of effective place marketing, or, more broadly, place communications, in enabling economic development, and bringing residents along with sustainable urban expansion projects?
In case we ever forget it, the Cambridge example highlights the interconnectedness of inward investment and talent attraction with strategic economic development. In Cambridge, this means addressing capacity constraints in areas including housing, lab space, roads, water and power supplies, as outlined in a recent Financial Times Big Read article.
The FT compares Cambridge, UK, with its namesake in Massachusetts, USA, highlighting the fact that constraints on development have historically prevented the UK city (and the surrounding region) from achieving the growth and agglomeration effects achieved in international competitor, high-tech cluster locations.
Part of the answer is for Cambridge (like Oxford) to be a driver of growth in its hinterland - the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. But the city itself must also expand to overcome existing constraints and to achieve its full economic potential - both for its residents and the UK as a whole. The challenge will be to do this in a sensitive and sustainable way, ensuring that Cambridge remains a ‘happy city’.
At which point, enter the ‘Nimbys’. The UK government has, in its drive for growth, said it will ‘back the builders over the blockers’. In response, Cambridge community leaders have, according to the FT, highlighted the wisdom of ‘bringing the public with them’. It’s important to note here that previous attempts to expand the city were met with ‘intense local opposition’ - and a purely ’top-down’ approach is unlikely to achieve the desired results.
There’s no doubt that the British sometimes show a peculiar desire to preserve our historic places as though the 20th century (let alone the 21st century) never happened. But there’s also a reason for this. All too often, economic development projects have been undertaken insensitively. The fact that we call places ‘unspoiled’ tells us what we often expect to be the alternative.
Local residents and communities raising objections should be seen in this context. Yes, some might be opposed to all development. But many more are saying this: ‘With our local knowledge we know what makes this place special. And as it develops, we want to make sure we don’t lose it.’
In high-tech hub locations like Cambridge, these things that make it special are particularly important. Young, highly skilled knowledge workers want affordable housing, of course. But they also want an attractive, enriching, distinctive and sustainable environment, and the high quality of life that comes with it. All of a sudden (and acknowledging the need for compromise all round) we see that the concerns raised by ‘blockers’ can actually help us to deliver successful, sustainable and popular economic development projects.
All of this highlights the importance of ‘bringing the public along’ with us. And place marketing, or, more broadly, place communications, is an important part of this process. Just as they are in the design of successful economic development projects, residents and community groups are key stakeholder partners in successful place marketing projects - sharing their local knowledge and insights, and enabling us to tell credible, distinctive, engaging stories to ’external’ target audiences including prospective inward investors and residents.
But - and it’s here that we can talk about place communications, more widely than place marketing - our residents and communities are also a key target audience in themselves. Keeping them up to date with informative, timely, high quality communications is more than just the polite thing to do. It can be a key part of ‘bringing them along’, and ensuring the success of ambitious economic development projects.
