We had the privilege of taking part in a powerful workshop at London’s Clapham Park estate – a community at the heart of one of the UK’s most ambitious estate regeneration programmes. The event brought together housing professionals, regeneration specialists, and community advocates to ask a vital question: how do we engage beyond the ‘usual suspects’ when shaping the future of our neighbourhoods?

The day was hosted by Vistry, alongside partners from Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) and JustOne. We were proud to contribute alongside a diverse group of strategic partners. Through walking tours, group workshops, and honest conversations, the event explored how the regeneration of Clapham Park can be rooted in inclusive, sustainable, and socially impactful design – creating neighbourhoods that work for everyone, not just those with the loudest voices.

Engagement that goes beyond the expected

Too often, engagement around development is framed in binary terms – for or against, old or new, progress or preservation. At Clapham Park, we helped to show that there’s a better way. By taking a digital-first approach, we can reduce barriers to participation, opening up the process to people who might otherwise feel excluded or unheard.

Our digital and design team demonstrated how our mapping tool can reframe engagement. Rather than presenting fixed plans and asking for feedback, the tool enables an ongoing conversation – one that’s visual, interactive, and grounded in the realities of people’s lives.

We believe that when communities are given the tools to imagine and influence change, they don’t just accept development – they help shape it. And that leads to better outcomes, deeper trust, and more resilient places.

Crafting a narrative of social impact

The regeneration of an estate like Clapham Park is not just a matter of construction, it’s a matter of identity, belonging, and opportunity. As Stephen Teagle, CEO of Vistry Group so aptly puts it, we are “building more than just bricks.”

That’s why our focus is on storytelling as much as strategy. By crafting compelling narratives that highlight the social impact of regeneration – the jobs created, the spaces opened, the lives improved – we can galvanise wider support and inspire long-term commitment.

These stories are already emerging at Clapham Park, and they deserve to be heard.

Long-term relationships, built on trust

Perhaps the most energising takeaway from the day was the shared sense of responsibility among everyone in the room. No single organisation can deliver the kind of change we aspire to. It takes partnership, persistence, and trust.

From our breakout groups to walking the estate itself, the conversations reaffirmed that we are not alone in our ambition to do more, and do better, for the sector. The appetite for innovation, empathy, and collaboration is real.