Place Principle
Place is significant in our lives.
It shapes who we are, frames what we have become, and nurtures our aspirations. Having a real say in what happens to our place helps to shape our opportunities and our impact on the planet.
We face significant challenges, fiscal, demographic and socio-economic and it's clear that more of the same won’t do. We need to adopt a more common-sense approach that focuses on what is important: people and communities. To maximise the impact of our combined resources we must work better together.
To align how we respond to these challenges with the potential of place, the Place Principle was developed. The principle was adopted by Scottish Government and COSLA in March 2019 and sets out the need to work collaboratively, across sectors, with everything at our disposal, towards the most relevant outcomes for a place. It provides a collective focus to address inequalities, improve lives and create more successful places.
What does the Place Principle say?
- Place is where people, location and resources combine to create a sense of identity and purpose, and is at the heart of addressing the needs and realising the full potential of communities.
- Places are shaped by the way resources, services and assets are directed and used by the people who live in and invest in them
- a more joined-up, collaborative, and participative approach to services, land and buildings, across all sectors within a place, enables better outcomes for everyone and increased opportunities for people and communities to shape their own lives.
- all those responsible for providing services and looking after assets in a place need to work and plan together, and with local communities, to improve the lives of people, support inclusive and sustainable economic growth and create more successful places.
Place-based Investment
A Place Based Investment Programme was announced by Scottish Government in 2020 and aims to bring the Place Principle to life. Backed with an initial £325 million capital over the next 5 years, the programme aims to accelerate ambitions for place, community led regeneration and community wealth building, town centre revitalisation, and 20-minute neighbourhoods.