Place Based Approaches

What is a Place Based Approach?

A place based approach is about understanding the issues, interconnections and relationships in a place and coordinating action and investment to improve the quality of life for that community.

Many communities across Scotland face common challenges and issues such as systemic poverty, ill health, poor environmental quality, or cycles of disinvestment.  However, the way in which these challenges are experienced, their impacts and the eventual outcomes for individuals in that area, will be influenced by the specifics of the local context, as well as the personal circumstances of individuals.  

There may be specific assets or capital in an area that makes it more resilient to pressures or, conversely, that makes it more vulnerable.  When how a place is structured and operates is fully understood, then decisions on investment, change or improvement can be coordinated, making best use of resources and maximising the outcomes for people living in that area.      

Place based approaches are not about understanding an issue or policy context in a particular geographical area.  They are about understanding the place and then planning policy responses that are coordinated with co-benefits across a range of outcomes.  They are collaborative  processes that take a long term approach and support the four pillars of the Christie Commission report – prevention, performance, participation, partnership.

Place based approaches in Scotland are not new, but recent policy changes around empowerment, community planning and public service reform, alongside the complex challenges of the climate emergency and public health, mean that there is renewed energy and focus on the approach. 

The adoption of the Place Principle by Scottish Government and COSLA signals a commitment to supporting place-based working across Scotland.  This requires partnerships not only across the public sector but with business and industry, the third sector and, crucially, with communities directly.

The Place Based Framework sets out a structure for how the aims of the Place Principle can be realised in Scotland and how positive transformation can improve the lives of citizens and release the potential within communities.