Development and the Community
Published via UDIA QLD Establish Magazine - Winter Edition Every facet of the development industry impacts the daily lives of those living in and around the developments. For this reason, community engagement is of paramount importance when a development is being considered and planned. establish sat down with Mosaic COO Marina Vit, along with other industry experts to gather their thoughts on community engagement and its importance for developers.
Over the years, what’s been your approach to giving back to the community?
People are at the heart of everything we do. Because of this, community engagement is a necessary and critical step in our development process, regardless of whether it is legislatively required or not. Mosaic invests in an in-house Community Engagement team to execute a proactive, transparent, and authentic consultation and engagement process.
Community engagement allows us to lead the conversation around performance-based planning and how increased density and site cover can be delivered sensitively to create a middle-ground where high-quality ‘good development’ can be achieved. We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach because every community is different.
What sort of research/planning goes into your community engagement strategy for each development?
Relevant community stakeholders are identified early on for each Mosaic development, and a tailored engagement plan is implemented for each. The consultation and communication processes are multi-faceted and wholly encompass each identified stakeholder, the goal being to identify pain points and concerns as soon as possible and discuss how to work together to overcome them.
Why is it important for developers to give back to the community?
Developers have to earn a social license to operate in a community. Construction can be disruptive. It can be very uncomfortable and scary for residents who identify closely with an area’s physical character. And that’s fair. Developers are in no position to simply take anything away from a community; we have to give back by demonstrating how we are adding value, and that our intentions are in their best interest.
Showing understanding and genuine care by, first and foremost, demonstrating empathy, being transparent with information, and being available to listen goes a long way to identifying specific ways we can earn the right by making tangible, positive contributions to benefit all.
How does Mosaic get involved with the communities that surround your developments?
From a communication standpoint, we are active and consistent from the outset. Aside from direct engagement with stakeholders, we install an information signboard on site outlining our intentions, create a dedicated community web page specific to that development, and conduct letterbox drops to a set radius of the site outlining key details along with a link to register for monthly
email updates.
Personal contact is maintained throughout the development, so our neighbours know ahead of time of any works that might directly impact them.
Where we can, we also work with community groups and local government to provide an additional positive, lasting presence.
What processes do you go through when considering the needs not only of future residents but also the community that surrounds them?
Sustainability is a vital consideration. We deeply analyse every aspect of a building’s design and development, identifying genuine, measurable opportunities to ensure we set and deliver the best outcomes for our buyers, the community, and the environment.
We also maintain the management and caretaking of our buildings for years after completion, which benefits both residents and our neighbours.
How do you measure success related to community engagement?
There is no greater measure of success than the feedback we receive from our customers, community, and stakeholders, which is overwhelmingly positive due to our considered approach to design and engagement. We have been able to turn some of the toughest anti-development communities into advocates. It has led to us buying additional sites in some areas because of their support.
In ensuring developments are ‘made for people’ what factors do you consider now that may not have been considered in the past?
Good design that thoroughly considers how (and where) people want to live. We design homes that are much more generously scaled than most of the broader apartment market, emphasising functionality and quality of finish.
Lifestyle amenity is another massive consideration. Our buildings provide a substantial offering relative to their scale, focusing on health, wellness, and community.
Finally, sustainability is a front-and-centre focus for us, our buyers, and our neighbours. Our sustainability journey is about broadening our focus on every detail of the design and development process. We are constantly evolving our approach to optimise our properties’ environmental efficiencies and minimise the footprint we leave long into the future.
We are also one of the first developers in Australia to use Holcim’s EcoPact carbon-neutral concrete for construction in select buildings, and we choose materials for their sustainable qualities.
Click here to read the full article.