An essay on the concept of place in policy

Renaisi was set up in 1998 to work in, with and for deprived neighbourhoods. Our definition of deprivation and scale of work was very much of its time – an era of significant government investment – and a focus on neighbourhoods drove our work.

While much has changed in the intervening twenty years, not least how
we talk about those communities, there remain significant economic and social challenges in many places across the UK.

This essay by Renaisi’s CEO, John Hitchin is an exploration of change, of geography and of perspective, and considers how the concept of place can be useful in the future.

Renaisi’s position is that thinking about and intervening in those challenges can still benefit from a geographic lens, but much has been learnt in the past two decades about approaches to place, so we need to consider what it means today.
John Hitchin, Renaisi CEO