“Social Value is created when buildings, places and infrastructure support and enhance the quality of life of the people who live, work, play and learn there” (Stuart, 2024).

How did this subjective and ambiguous term land in the built environment? 

Social value is rooted in the concept of sustainability.  Much like social value, sustainability was also a buzz word for the built environment 30, 40 years ago.  Today sustainability is ingrained in everyone’s lives from professional work and the legislation that governs it, to personal lives, travel choices and consumer habits.

The fundamental aim of using social values to shape design is to achieve better results. Working with social values through effective stakeholder engagement can secure significant benefits for your projects.

At a minimum, working to build trusting relationships with stakeholders makes it less likely that you will face sustained opposition, challenge and delay to your project.  This also has significant financial implications for your project.

The more you work with your stakeholders and the community, the more you will learn. They may have technical knowledge, but more likely they will bring different types of knowledge about history, culture, connections, or relevant local issues that will help you manage risks and enhance your project.

Positive feedback from communities can enhance your reputation and brand.  We have spent years of our professional lives working on projects suffering negative effects from previous community experiences.   If your current project is a success in the eyes of the community, you will start the next one on a good foundation.

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