Fostering Sustainable Communities in Fallowfield: A Collective Inquiry

Our Collective Inquiry on Sustainable Communities is a co-created project which brought together a team of long-term residents and community activists, university staff and students from MMU and UoM, alongside public sector and other organisational representatives.  Focusing on the area known historically as ‘Fallowfield Village’, the team explored the challenges of fostering and maintaining sustainable communities in this university neighbourhood. Through four co-created sessions running between January and April 2025, the team explored the issues facing the area from different perspectives.

The final report briefing illuminates the systemic nature of the challenges facing Fallowfield and the harmful implications for both long-term and student residents. We conclude by proposing the following framework for fostering sustainable communities in Fallowfield:

Grounded in responsibility and accountability, we call for a holisitic, integrated and strategic approach, built on shared leadership, an ethic of care, and a commitment to leveraging institutional resources and influence. We also identify five key areas as a starting point for further collective action: improving data, creating a distinct place identity, fostering integrated communities, enhancing existing initiatives, and tackling root causes. Whilst this framework has been developed specifically around the case of Fallowfield Village, we suggest it offers lessons for fostering sustainable communities across the city and beyond.

Perspectives on Fallowfield

As part of the Inquiry, the team spent a morning walking the streets of Fallowfield, sharing perspectives on the area and the challenges it faces. In particular, we identified how economic, social and environmental imbalances shape the geography of the area, negatively impacting services and infrastructure, and lowering the quality of living for all inhabitants. We also visited community-led projects like the Shakespearean Garden, and discussed how local assets could be better protected, promoted and maintained.

Many of these properties have now deteriorated into mouldy, unhealthy, and unsafe living conditions, rather than being the homes they once were. The beauty of these streets has been lost, and with it, a sense of pride and identity. (Participant Reflection)

A key takeaway from our walk was the necessity of fostering mutual understanding and support between students and residents. It is easy to feel disheartened when walking through Fallowfield and seeing the extent of the transformation, but the issues here are not insolvable. If universities, landlords, local authorities, and students themselves take a more active role in fostering a healthier community, Fallowfield could be more than just a transient hub for students. (Participant Reflection)

In two subsequent sessions, the team explored how systemic imbalances are created and reinforced; evaluated existing institutional responses; and proposed approaches to more effectively address the challenges faced in Fallowfield.