As populism gripped hold of the UK and US in recent years, it gained a foothold in places that had been viewed as left behind by globalisation, with the hard times upon which they had fallen proving a fertile ground for the populist ideas of Trump or Brexit to take hold.

The years since have provided a renewed focus on how such places can be revitalized.  Research from the University of Cambridge argues that the key is to develop spaces and facilities that bring people together.

The report argues that 25% of any funds allocated for “levelling up” should be spent on “social infrastructure” that will allow people to interact with their local communities and generate a sense of local identity.  The authors say that these investments are just as important as more widely publicized physical infrastructure schemes, such as the High Speed 2 rail link or the rollout of 5G.  Indeed, they believe that the success of such schemes depends on the social plumbing community schemes provide.

Social infrastructure

“When the local pub is shuttered, the park is unkempt and the high street has been hollowed out, the pride of a once close-knit community can give way to pessimism and disenchantment,” the researchers say.

“There is an ingrained bias in government towards large-scale infrastructure projects, but interventions that seek to restore dilapidated town centres or support local initiatives may be far more socially and economically beneficial than many policy-makers appreciate.”

Social infrastructure, such as cafes, museums, leisure centres, and cinemas are not just places to bring people together, but also employ around 2.3 million people across the UK.  What’s more, the report highlights that they provide around half of all employment in “left behind” towns.

Jobs in these areas are particularly important for young people, who have been especially hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic as so many of these communal facilities have been forced to shut.  Their importance cannot be overstated, however, as the report found that there was a clear correlation between the number of community and social facilities and the level of mutual aid provided during the pandemic.

Setting priorities

The authors highlight that the decline in towns often gets framed as a matter of the high street or major industrial employers, but things like the high street go beyond commercial and retail and act as a town center to bring the community together.

For instance, the report reveals that people who go into town with others spend 50% more than when they visit alone.  Similar boosts occur when people visit cafes, museums or restaurants during their trip.

“Investing in cafes, cinemas, pubs and heritage assets on high streets is central to driving footfall and incentivising spending in the local economy,” the authors say. “The report recommends the government revisit its decision to allow developers to convert vacant retail and café space to residential properties, as it will damage “the quality of community life”.

With these kinds of social facilities also having a significant impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of communities, the benefits are clear for all to see, especially when the skills benefits of facilities such as libraries and museums are considered.

“We are seeing the loss of the spaces and facilities, the social plumbing, that is fundamental to making a place desirable to live and work,” the authors conclude. “There are towns where the number of public meeting places has dwindled to precarious levels in recent years.”

“We know that levels of community provision deliver a wide range of economic and social benefits. Investment in social infrastructure should not be seen as a rival to funding large-scale projects in areas like transport, but a vital accompaniment if we really are to level up the UK.”