Pride in places is built on people’s sense of attachment and involvement in shaping neighbourhoods, town or city centres that are familiar to them. We can only hope to engender such pride by having a better understanding of such sentiments and how to reach out to different types of residents. Here, we share a younger view on pride in place than is perhaps familiar to many decision-makers, as an example of how to broaden and adapt our approach to boosting it.
Assessing community life
The summary presented here, captures some of the bespoke analysis undertaken by People & Places of the depth of detail that can be gleaned from 175,000 responses to the U.K. Government’s Community Life Survey undertaken in October 2024 to March 2025. We have drawn on the summary findings and extensive data in the neighbourhood and community, and civic engagement and social action sections of the survey findings, as well as the extensive data that sits behind them. In doing so we have developed an understanding and key performance indicators for underlying components involved in creating a sense of pride in place. These four components are:
- Civic engagement
- Community influence
- People’s attachment to places
- Places’ appeal to people
We use these measures to underpin analysis for pride in place development projects and strategy preparation. This understanding includes evidence relating to different socio-economic sectors and demographic groups, as well as all local authority areas of England. Here though, we focus on what it reveals about a younger view on pride in place.
Engaging younger people
In designing community engagement plans, it is important to understand that younger audiences are more challenging to involve in traditional ways. Data from the 2024/2025 Community Life Survey, indicates that 41% of residents are engaged in decision-making about their local area through either civic participation consultation or some form of more involved activism. The data shows that this rises to 46% overall for 65- to 74-year-olds, who are the most likely age group to engage across civic activities.
When it comes to 16- to 24-year-olds that proportion drops considerably to 33% because of this age group’s more modest levels of engagement in civic consultation and participation. Adults in the 25 to 34 age group show near average levels of overall engagement though are marginally less likely to respond to consultations or be active citizens.
Communities exerting influence
Younger audiences are less invested in places though also less likely to be disgruntled. This is seen when we look in-depth at the balance of resident’s ability to exert influence and their recognition of the importance of doing so. The balance of indicators is partially positive for the younger age groups, with 16 to 24 year-olds, for example, exhibiting the narrowest gap between their modest experience and expectations of influence. This was followed by the 25- to 34- age group who had modestly increased expectations about the importance of influence. The 50 to 64 and 65 to 74-age groups in contrast, have the biggest unmet expectations, largely due to the heightened importance that they give to being able to influence local decisions.
Expectations on authorities
When it comes to making it easier to influence local decisions, the strongest expectation is on improved communication from local authorities, with people calling for more knowledge about the issues being considered (48%), the option of giving opinions digitally (43%) or a desire for direct contact from their council (30%). There was recognition that it would help if residents themselves had more time (30%).
People’s aging attachment to places
When it comes to people’s attachment to their local area, the very strong indication is that it is a relationship that strengthens with age. Only around half of 16- to 24-year-olds are either proud of or would recommend where they live to others, whilst their transiency if emphasised by the fact that little more than a third would like to be living locally in 5 years’ time. The 25-34 age group appear to be at a stage where attachments through their pride in recommendable places to live have increased, with over half happy to contemplate staying put. Local attachment continues to increase until the level where the over 75’s are the most proud, the most likely to recommend and have the strongest intentions to still be living locally in 5 years’.
Youth’s limited pride prompts progress
Younger people’s more limited pride in places and their pasts, appears to make them more welcoming of progress. Just under half of 16- to 24-year-olds think that their local area is attractive and less than two-thirds are satisfied with it as a place to live. They are, however, the second most positive age group in their perception of recent changes to local areas. Adults in the 25 to 34 age group have more positive perspectives about the attractiveness and the satisfaction to be gained from where they live. They are also the most positive about changes over recent years. The 65-to 74 age group are the most positive about their local area’s attractiveness and as a place to live, though the least positive about changes in recent years.
The most common reasons for feeling pride in the local area is that it feels safe (69%), includes green and natural spaces (63%) and that people are respectful and friendly (58%). Other factors mentioned by at least three in ten adults include good transport links (48%), a good range of shops and facilities (47%), and a strong sense of community (32%).
More information
This analysis of the younger view on pride in place is part of broader analysis that underpins our work undertaking stakeholder engagement, place partnership development, strategy preparation and project delivery. Contact services @people-places.net for examples of the type of work underpinned by such analysis.
