The Power of Place: Webinar

Jun 9, 2021  

Event URL:  https://events.tamarackcommunity.ca/webinar-the-power-of-place-emily-sun-jo-blundell

Where we live matters. Many of us believe that good people make good places. The reverse is also true – good places make good people. But so often, we don’t make the investments in both people and places. Emily Sun and Jo Blundell of Project Place have been researching the resurging importance of place in the United Kingdom.

There is a growing acknowledgment in the UK that certain tough social problems can only truly be tackled through communities in a way that builds ownership, understanding and a legacy of change. Common threads of this can be seen in the work of organisations like New Local, the Better Way Network, the Human Learning Systems collaborative and many others.

There are no simple roadmaps or quick fixes, this is difficult work and those involved have to find their way based on local circumstances and the capacity of the community and local partners to make the change happen. We are particularly interested in how this work happens in defined places and communities, in what is often described as place-based working:

"The term ‘place-based’, in relation to foundations or national government bodies, is currently used to describe a range of approaches, from grant-making in a specific geographic area to long-term, multifaceted collaborative partnerships aimed at achieving significant change. In most cases, it is more than just a term to describe the target location of funding; it also describes a style and philosophy of approach which seeks to achieve ‘joined-up’ systems change."

Emily Sun and Jo Blundell, along with John Hitchin, will join Liz Weaver in a lively conversation about the power of place. Together we will explore how place-based change has the potential to solve some of the most challenging problems currently facing Canada and the UK. We will learn more about the place-based research findings and discuss how people and place are pivotal to community vitality and economic inclusion.