‘Building Community’ Physical and social infrastructure in the Master Planned Community...

‘‘Building Community’Building Community’Physical and social infrastructure in the Master Physical and social infrastructure in the Master

Planned CommunityPlanned Community

Preliminary findings from the Work, Home and Community ProjectPreliminary findings from the Work, Home and Community Project

Centre for Work + LifeCentre for Work + LifeHawke Research Institute for Sustainable SocietiesHawke Research Institute for Sustainable Societies

University of South AustraliaUniversity of South Australia

Dr Pip WilliamsDr Pip Williams

State of Australian CitiesState of Australian CitiesAdelaideAdelaide

20072007

Outline of presentationOutline of presentation

Community and social capital: What do we mean?

The Work Home and Community Project: phase 1

Findings: Building community and enabling social capital across the life

span in two Master Planned Communities (MPCs)

Conclusions and discussion

social capitalsocial capital

CommunityCommunity

Neighbourhood watch

The Work Home and Community The Work Home and Community Project: Phase oneProject: Phase one

Aim Aim Gain a preliminary understanding of issues faced by women and men in Gain a preliminary understanding of issues faced by women and men in

relation to building community and developing social capital – keeping life relation to building community and developing social capital – keeping life stage and work in focusstage and work in focus

ParticipantsParticipants68 Residents and workers of two MPCs; 33 women, 35 men aged 19-70 68 Residents and workers of two MPCs; 33 women, 35 men aged 19-70

yrsyrs

Data collectionData collection14 focus groups14 focus groups

AnalysisAnalysisInitial analysis - Descriptive coding; thematic coding; analytical coding.Initial analysis - Descriptive coding; thematic coding; analytical coding.Review of literature on community and social capital Review of literature on community and social capital Focused analysis of dataFocused analysis of data

Study locationsMindy LakesMindy Lakes is an energetic mix of is an energetic mix of education, recreation, retail, residential and education, recreation, retail, residential and commercial facilities; resulting in a commercial facilities; resulting in a welcoming, self-contained community that welcoming, self-contained community that displays a real sense of purpose, direction displays a real sense of purpose, direction and belonging.and belonging.

Catherine Springs offers a quality of life, Catherine Springs offers a quality of life, which is second to none… a place where you which is second to none… a place where you and your family can live, learn, work and and your family can live, learn, work and play.play.

Findings Findings

Physical and social infrastructures that Physical and social infrastructures that bring people togetherbring people together

Physical infrastructurePhysical infrastructure

Social InfrastructureSocial Infrastructure

www.peter.com.au

Social capital across different Social capital across different stages of lifestages of life

New mothersNew mothers

www.directhere.com

New mothersNew mothers

Mum

MumMum

Mum

Mothers group

ECH Centre

Antenatal service

Mum

Mum

Fig 1. Avenues to social networks for new mothers

I’m into the community five days a week. I I’m into the community five days a week. I have something planned every day. It’s have something planned every day. It’s the walking group, it’s the mother’s group, the walking group, it’s the mother’s group, its mother’s network, its playgroup. (CS5, its mother’s network, its playgroup. (CS5, p.369)p.369)

Mum

MumMum

Mum

ECH Centre

Mum

Mum

Fig 2. Inadequate physical and social infrastructure for new mothers

I had a woman stop me out in the street one day. I had a woman stop me out in the street one day. She was in such a state, she’s got a baby in the She was in such a state, she’s got a baby in the pram and had walked the streets until she bumped pram and had walked the streets until she bumped into somebody else with a pram because she into somebody else with a pram because she needed advice from another mother . She was needed advice from another mother . She was having trouble breastfeeding and her baby was having trouble breastfeeding and her baby was constipated and she had such a bad experience constipated and she had such a bad experience with the health nurse…I mean that’s when people with the health nurse…I mean that’s when people do stupid things, when they get desperate…That’s do stupid things, when they get desperate…That’s exactly why the mother’s network was set up, exactly why the mother’s network was set up, someone had actually done something stupid. They someone had actually done something stupid. They drowned their baby. (CS 5. p409drowned their baby. (CS 5. p409))

New mothers returning to New mothers returning to workwork

I’m not involved in the community here as much as I’m not involved in the community here as much as I’d like to be...my kids go to crèche and just about I’d like to be...my kids go to crèche and just about all the parents there work full time so they don’t get all the parents there work full time so they don’t get involved in a lot of the community things either. So involved in a lot of the community things either. So I feel like I’m missing a little bit in that way. I’d like I feel like I’m missing a little bit in that way. I’d like to get involved but it’s having the time. (CS5 p. to get involved but it’s having the time. (CS5 p. 361)361)

Young family: two parents Young family: two parents working full timeworking full time

www.bbc.co.uk

MotherChild

Child

Child

Mother

Mother

Father

Father

Father

Fig 3. Developing social ties through children

When I moved here I knew nobody… my When I moved here I knew nobody… my son was still at [his old school] so I didn’t son was still at [his old school] so I didn’t get to meet anybody for three years. (CS5, get to meet anybody for three years. (CS5, p.154)p.154)

Child

Child

Child

Mother

Mother

Father

Father

Father

Mother

Fig 4. Impoverished social ties due to lack of connection with other children in local area

Dual income families and Dual income families and workwork

[[My job] was starting to impact on the kids. My job] was starting to impact on the kids. Can I Can I ask how you noticed the effect on the kids? ask how you noticed the effect on the kids? What did you see? What did you see? Stress in the kids like sleeping Stress in the kids like sleeping problems and homework. Not coping with school, problems and homework. Not coping with school, not being able to be involved with sports activities, not being able to be involved with sports activities, like not having a lot of friends in the community. like not having a lot of friends in the community. (CS7, p.88)(CS7, p.88)

Career advancement and things are important to Career advancement and things are important to me you can’t really find that on this side of the city me you can’t really find that on this side of the city to be honest,to be honest, (CS7, p.152)

A lot of the guys that work where I work, they live A lot of the guys that work where I work, they live around this area too. We can see each other and around this area too. We can see each other and sometimes give lifts to each other. We [also] have sometimes give lifts to each other. We [also] have a great relationship because of the school. We get a great relationship because of the school. We get friendships through it. I think friendships that you friendships through it. I think friendships that you made out of your kids are lasting relationships made out of your kids are lasting relationships (CS6, p.982). (CS6, p.982).

We look after each other’s kids. So if we We look after each other’s kids. So if we see one of the kids doing something wrong see one of the kids doing something wrong [we do something about it]. (CS6, p.313)[we do something about it]. (CS6, p.313)

TeenagersTeenagers

commentisfree.guardian.co.uk

Teen

Adult

Teen

AdultVideo games

Sport facilities

Skate park

Cinema

Fig 5. Opportunities for intergenerational social interaction through shared use of infrastructure

That’s the end result I think, if you don’t give them That’s the end result I think, if you don’t give them something to do they’ll just get into trouble. (CS 5 something to do they’ll just get into trouble. (CS 5 p.282)p.282)

Teen

Adult

Teen

Adult

Markets in another suburb

Local Sport facilities

Skate park in another suburb

Cinema in another suburb

Fig 6: Lack of opportunities for intergenerational social interaction resulting from few shared facilities and events in local area (broken arrows indicate poor access due to lack of transport options)

Older people: retirees and the Older people: retirees and the frail elderlyfrail elderly

www.creatas.com

I’ve made a huge effort to get involved with the I’ve made a huge effort to get involved with the community because I felt really dislocated …then last community because I felt really dislocated …then last year I tripped over my cat and broke my ankle. But, it year I tripped over my cat and broke my ankle. But, it was a fantastic story… some of my lovely neighbours was a fantastic story… some of my lovely neighbours brought my bed downstairs next to my office and the brought my bed downstairs next to my office and the church organised food for three weeks - Just church organised food for three weeks - Just startling. I invite neighbours to dinner and they invite startling. I invite neighbours to dinner and they invite me to dinner and so we have that lovely networking me to dinner and so we have that lovely networking thing happening (FG1, p221)thing happening (FG1, p221)

Oldie

Other Oldie

Oldie

Library Walking group

Church

Other

Oldie

Fig 7. Avenues to social networks for older people (broken arrows indicate poor access)

ConclusionsConclusions

Thank YouThank You

http://www.unisa.edu.au/hawkeinstitute/cwl/default.asp

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Many thanks go to Kelvin Trimper, Rebecca Many thanks go to Kelvin Trimper, Rebecca Dunow and Anne Jolic For their assistance with Dunow and Anne Jolic For their assistance with

the project so farthe project so far

We are very grateful to the men and women from We are very grateful to the men and women from Mindy lakes and Catherine Springs who Mindy lakes and Catherine Springs who

participated in focus groups for this phase of the participated in focus groups for this phase of the projectproject

This research is jointly funded by the Australian Research Council, Lend Lease Communities and the Land Management Corporation