Welfare Reform on the Web (October 2010): Community regeneration and development - UK

Community cohesion in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

M. Wood and J.Fowlie

Local Economy, vol. 25, 2010, p. 293-304

Social marketing is the application of commercial marketing approaches to achieve behavioural change for individual or social good. Under New Labour, community cohesion became a national and local priority. This article presents a case study of how one local authority, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, sought to diffuse racial tensions and promote community cohesion through a social marketing approach.

Putting the 'Community' into community planning: assessing community inclusion in Northern Ireland

R. McAlister

International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, vol.34, 2010, p. 533-547

In many parts of the world citizens are demanding involvement in the planning and management of the physical environment. Community planning, one form of such involvement, is due to be introduced in Northern Ireland in 2011. In a region where participative democracy has been long suppressed, community planning offers a convincing solution to the problem of involving local people in decisions that affect them, makes services more responsive to local needs, and introduces a new culture of partnership working. However, its introduction will be challenging as previous participatory initiatives have left a number of ordinary citizens disillusioned as their influence on policies has been negligible. In addition, given Northern Ireland's history of sectarian conflict, it will be necessary to recognise who is 'representing' community interests.