How storytelling supports place-making
Once upon a time, shiny hoardings sprang up around a building site. The local community gathered to see the CGI images of new homes and smiling people. And they all lived happily ever after?
When it comes to making the case for new developments, slapping an aspirational picture on the hoardings and calling it a day isn’t enough. Engagement must begin long before spades hit the ground, and it has to build trust in the process.
Strong storytelling can sell a sense of place. It helps communities, stakeholders and future residents to imagine the reality behind the marketing pitch: not just the bricks and mortar of a project, but why it matters, who it’s for, and how it will improve everyday life.
Start crafting your narrative early
Good storytelling starts long before the hoardings go up. By the time construction begins, people should already understand the long-term vision, the shared goals, and the practical steps being taken to get there.
This is particularly important for large-scale projects, where the end result may be years away. Unsurprisingly, people are more likely to tolerate disruption if there’s a story that helps them to visualise how each stage of the build contributes to a wider purpose.
The strongest place-making stories translate the big picture thinking behind new developments into tangible change. Social value should be considered early, so that local needs and aspirations can influence project plans. Initial engagement and consultation work can help to identify what matters most to communities, and built vital trust from the outset.
The work we’ve done with two of our clients is a testament to this. In Gloucester, we helped to create a narrative about a vibrant and thriving city on the rise as Reef + Partners transformed the city centre with a £107m mixed-use development. And we positioned the Gravity Smart Campus in Puriton as a hub for clean growth industries and the green jobs revolution, leading to an investment worth four billion from Agratas.
That is where effective place-based storytelling earns its keep. It helps stakeholders and investors to understand not only what is being built, but the opportunities that new developments can unlock.
Lead with the tangible benefits
Storytelling also helps to close the gap between jargon and reality. Phrases like ‘vibrant new neighbourhood’ and ‘dynamic mixed-use development’ may be useful shorthand inside a project team, but they rarely answer the question communities are really asking: what does this mean for me?
Will local people benefit from a rejuvenated high street, a new community centre, a neighbourhood park, or pedestrian and cycle routes that connect people to a wider green network? These are the kinds of details being discussed at Brookleigh in Burgess Hill, where local updates reference school proposals, shops, community facilities, open space and transport links.
That specificity matters because people don’t tend to build emotional connection with a concept. A parent imagines the walk to school. A commuter questions whether the bus route will improve. A dog walker wants to know whether public rights of way and green spaces will be accessible, safe and attractive.
These are the elements that help people to picture the future. They show how a large development can support and enhance local infrastructure, rather than just disrupting routines or adding pressure to existing services.
Tips for storytelling that rings true
The benefits of new developments are often made in abstract terms. Lofty ideas are great in theory, but won’t necessarily sell the vision to people on the frontlines. It’s all very well to talk about investment, regeneration, growth and long-term economic benefit – but what does that mean in terms of everyday improvements?
There are steps that PR teams and developers can take to bring people along on the journey:
- Build the story around tangible themes: A strong comms strategy should translate the masterplan into key pillars like education, nature and wellbeing, better transport options, a revived high street and an improved local economy.
- Replace CGI-only comms with “day in the life” content: CGIs have a role, but they can feel distant or unrealistic. Developers should pair visualisations with human storytelling that helps people to imagine everyday improvements (e.g., ‘A Saturday morning in the new centre’).
- Make local voices part of the story: Local credibility comes from a wider mix of voices: planners, ecologists, school leaders, transport specialists, local businesses, community groups, young people and residents.
- Communicate disruption honestly: Developers are wise to be upfront about construction traffic, noise, road changes and other temporary impacts. Comms should connect short-term disruption to long-term benefit without sounding dismissive.
- Use hyperlocal channels, not just press releases: Traditional media still matters, but local people often get information through Facebook groups, WhatsApp networks, community newsletters, parish councils, school bulletins, local businesses and site signage.
- Measure whether people understand the value: Developers should track whether residents understand the benefits, whether concerns are reducing, whether event attendees feel heard, whether construction updates are reaching affected households, and whether local stakeholders can explain the scheme in their own words.
Don’t neglect storytelling when you’re selling the ‘big picture’
Storytelling gives development a human frame. Long-term investment and growth are hugely important, but people also want to get the sense of a place that they can recognise themselves living in now.
Big-picture thinking becomes truly persuasive when it’s paired with real improvements on the ground. It connects investment to a school place, infrastructure to a shorter journey, biodiversity net gain to a nature reserve, and a development’s masterplan to everyday life.
For the communities standing outside the hoardings, wondering what comes next, that can make all the difference.
Photo in the header by Ron Lach on Pexels.
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