Whether it’s a local village green where people gather or simply a conversation across the garden fence, a thriving community grows where relationships flourish and people feel proud to call it home.
At Redrow, we believe a home is just the beginning. We build better places to live and that means we create thoughtfully designed communities where people can truly thrive, with green open spaces, safe streets, footpaths and cycleways, playgrounds, community orchards and sports facilities, to name but a few.
It's National Friendship Day on August 3rd as well as Good Neighbours Day on September 28 so why not use these days as a chance to celebrate your connection with your community?
Discover the 10 ways we create thriving neighbourhoods.
1. Designing walkable, welcoming neighbourhoods
Our development layouts are designed with people in mind. By incorporating features like open green spaces and well-lit footpaths our new build communities naturally prioritise pedestrians and cyclists and encourage neighbourly encounters. The positioning of homes to face each other, traffic-calmed streets, and easily accessible community hubs all help create opportunities for connection, making it easier for friendships to form and a sense of belonging to grow.
Neighbourhood design does more than boost visual appeal, it shapes how people experience and engage with their community. Carefully designed planting, tree-lined avenues, and well-maintained walkways invite residents to spend more time outdoors in the fresh air.
When we’re building communities, we’re proud of the Redrow difference, which encapsulates where we build our new home developments to the materials we use.
2. Creating shared green spaces and play areas
Integrating green spaces within our developments is central to our placemaking principles. They support the wellbeing of the people who live there and foster a deeper connection with nature. It’s all part of our promise to build thriving communities.
Community parks and orchards, wildflower meadows, play areas, and village greens play a vital role in creating vibrant, family-friendly neighbourhoods. These shared spaces provide welcoming environments where people of all ages can come together, whether it’s children engaged in active play, parents catching up with neighbours, or dog-walkers enjoying a leisurely stroll.
By supporting both social interaction and physical activity, they contribute to better mental health and a more active lifestyle for residents.
3. Supporting local schools and education
Education plays a central role in Redrow’s vision for thriving communities. By partnering with schools and investing in local education infrastructure via Section 106 contributions, we help to create places where families can grow and children can flourish.
Our new build family homes are carefully planned with school catchment areas in mind, often located near highly rated educational institutions because we understand that strong schools are the foundation of strong communities. Families are naturally drawn to neighbourhoods that support learning and opportunity, reinforcing a vibrant, sustainable community fabric for generations to come.
If you’ve got children starting a new school year soon, read our tips for starting a new school.
4. Placing amenities within easy reach
Some of our developments incorporate essential amenities, such as shops, cafés, GP surgeries, and outdoor gyms. Our Garden Villages are designed with community life in mind. By placing these facilities within walking distance, residents enjoy greater convenience while reducing the need to drive, encouraging more sustainable and active lifestyles.
Just as importantly, these local hubs naturally foster social interaction, boost the local economy, and help create a vibrant, close-knit neighbourhood.
5. Encouraging friendships and neighbourly connections
The layout and design of a development can provide more opportunities to meet and interact with other people. From the positioning of homes to our ‘streets for life’ with benches and pathways leading through shared spaces, it naturally invites people to connect. Thoughtfully placed features like community gardens, pocket parks, or even just a well-positioned post box create chances for neighbours to cross paths. It’s in these relaxed, informal settings that friendships often begin, and the added benefit of moving to a brand new Redrow home is that everyone else is also new to the development.
Learn more about how you can get to know your neighbours by reading our handy guide.
6. Promoting active, outdoor living
Our beautifully designed developments include features like allotments, walking trails, sports areas, and cycle paths. These features not only enhance the landscape but give residents more opportunity to spend time outside close to home.
It means if you live on a Redrow development, you can stay active, connect with others, and enjoy being outdoors, fostering both physical wellbeing and community spirit.
If you’re looking for garden design ideas, we’ve got it covered and if you need some outdoor game inspiration to bring the family together this summer, we’ve done the research for you.
7. Prioritising sustainability and wildlife
Green spaces and gardens at our developments are designed to incorporate pollinator-friendly planting, wildlife corridors, and green infrastructure to not only support biodiversity but also instil a sense of pride among residents.
Eco-conscious design choices, such as bee-friendly flowers and homes for nature, encourages everyone young and old to take an active interest in the wildlife around them while enhancing the environmental value of the development.
If you need some seasonal planting ideas read our easy to follow tips on gardening by season.
8. Hosting community events and celebrations
Many new Redrow neighbourhoods have played host to community events like summer fetes, festive markets, street parties and impromptu barbecues that bring residents together.
We enjoy seeing residents using their local community hubs and accessible outdoor spaces to host their celebrations, so if you’re sharing photos from an event on social media, we’d love it if you could tag us in your posts.
With National Friendship Day coming up on August 3rd and Good Neighbours Day on September 28 you could use these days as a chance to celebrate your connection with your community.
9. Designing homes that create diverse communities
We’re dedicated to designing and building homes with character and style that people are proud to live in. Our Heritage Collection homes include open-plan kitchens that form the heart of the home, perfect for modern entertaining, whether it’s catching up over coffee or hosting a lively dinner.
Thoughtfully designed layouts support family support the family life, providing place to enjoy cooking, dining, and relaxing together. Meanwhile, welcoming front gardens and s make it easier for neighbours to share a wave or a quick hello on the way past.
The result is a home that not only functions beautifully but encourages a sense of connection, both inside and out.
If you need some inspiration for styling your open plan home, read advice from our interior designer, Alysha Alli, designing your dream home interior once you’ve moved in.
10. Building garden villages that bring it all together
Garden villages bring together the best of a new build community by seamlessly combining homes, schools, shops, parks, and other mixed-use spaces into one great place to live.
Our garden villages are designed to be thriving communities which feature everything from new homes and amenities to green spaces and new habitats for wildlife. Residents have everything they need within easy reach, from daily essentials to green spaces for relaxation and play, garden villages foster vibrant, inclusive communities.
Looking for more than just a home?
Explore Redrow developments designed to help you connect, grow and thrive in a true community.
