Vanessa Hale
Director, Research
Tradition, technology and transport are set to have a positive impact on the village of the future
Our third publication, ‘Housing Futures – The Village Revival’, suggests that the most dynamic, energetic villages are those that can evolve. Future sustainability will require a diverse range of housing options – yes, the large period manor house surrounded by quaint country cottages – but also flats suitable for downsizers looking to lock up and leave and single person households, affordable family homes suitable for first time buyers and good quality rental accommodation. In order to thrive, the best villages will have a mix of tribes making up a vibrant community – including rural newbies ‘The Rubies’, Elderflowers (baby boomers who may have lived in the village a long time) and Rusticarians (rural, tech savvy entrepreneurs).
The most sought-after village is amenity-rich with good transport connections and all the traditional elements of a local school, an active local community with village hall, a well-stocked local shop and at least one pub. Good broadband and mobile connectivity are crucial and there are plenty of apps available to check an area’s connectivity when house hunting. Home buyers looking to move to a village can also check that home delivery services will reach their chosen location – flexible or mobile health services, online grocery orders, Amazon packages – all things taken for granted when one lives in the city.
The village of the future will also have flexible retail/work spaces to appeal to freelance workers, called Flexispace, like a local coffee shop which provides bookable office space. This is definitely more of an urban trend at the moment – but one we expect to see spreading to the countryside. Also the village will have Makerplaces, a community building that allows for people to make things, designers to create new products and an alternative space for village events. We are also anticipating an increase in car-sharing in rural locations, acting as an alternative to public transport.
To read all of our Housing Futures blogs, please click here.