Sustainable healthy communities: the contested role of ‘region’ in the housing development sector

The English housing development sector is frequently described as being in a state of crisis, presenting challenges for a range of stakeholders. The research is tensioned against structural shifts in the housing development sector, with an agglomeration of a handful of large housing developers shaping the narrative, set against the decline of regional SMEs developers. The aim is to unpack the prevailing discourse and the common reductionist metric of ‘units’ built, in order to reintroduce notions of regionalism, place and sustainable healthy community into the debate. Central to this is unpacking what is meant by ‘region’ or ‘regional’. Contemporary perspectives on regionality are critiqued, questioning the criteria by which regions are defined and understood. Methodologically the research considers through a desk study how regional identities are mobilised within various institutional contexts. A central theme that emerges is the importance of regional identity and its complex interplay with changing stakeholder interests. Findings illustrate that regions and identities are shaped by historical and spatial themes, requiring a contextually grounded approach. Such themes are currently missing from much of the debates around housing development, with large national housing developers shaping the rhetoric, often to suit their agendas. The research concludes by proposing that the definition of a region is inherently fluid, shaped by the needs and agendas of those involved in its conceptualisation. This nuanced understanding of regionality challenges the dominant narratives in housing development and underscores the potential of regional SME house builders to contribute to more sustainable and contextually appropriate solutions.