Is there a single formula for a successful mixed community? Professor Nick Bailey suggests no. However, he did provide a list of ingredients he sees as vital to creating a healthy and sustainable mix.

Leadership and effective partnering, strong design, integration of housing types and tenure, and well located developments close to facilities and services are all elements of getting the mix right according to Nick.
Professor Bailey said successful mixed communities are ones which are ‘tenure blind’, feature integrated layouts, and maximise the use of shared space to integrate the community. This can be achieved through community participation, consultation, the formation of neighbourhood agreements.

Craig Sanderson followed up to Nick’s presentation by providing practical examples of successful mixed communities. Although he agreed with what Nick had said, he stressed the importance of compromising and renegotiating initial plans to achieve success.

Craig stressed the importance of wider role and social enterprise in sustaining mixed communities, and said he fears the uncertainty around the future of wider role funding and the impact this will have on regeneration projects. He provided many examples of social enterprise projects that had assisted in meeting the long term vision for an area through providing both social and practical benefits for the community.

He concluded by reinforcing the importance of long term commitments, community involvement and quality leadership in achieving a good mix. While there is no ideal mix in his mind, the role of social economy and social enterprise in creating mixed communities cannot be underestimated according to Craig.
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