Principles for place-based community participation

By James A. Turner.

How can a community’s sense of connection and responsibility to care for their place be strengthened? How can this lead to ground-up change, driven by communities, to tackle complex social, economic, and environmental issues? How can such change draw on the deep sense of care and belonging people feel for their communities and environments to tailor solutions to the unique needs and context of a place?

We identified eleven key principles associated with successful place-based community-led projects. These are the first principles to be developed in-country, rather than being imported from overseas and, because these are place-based, they are specific to Aotearoa New Zealand. We share them here to illustrate what specific place-based principles look like.

The principles are presented in three groups: strong foundations, relationships and connections, and long-term sustainability. The glossary explains the Māori (Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa) terms used.

Strong Foundations

The foundations for engaging communities in place-based initiatives in Aotearoa New Zealand are unique to our place. 

1. Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides a solid foundation for the design of place-based initiatives. The principles of partnership, participation and protection are at its heart. Building respectful relationships with mana whenua takes time, and many cups of tea. Consider how your project design can respectfully draw from Māori and non-Māori worldviews. If your community members lack knowledge about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, education should be a core part of your project’s foundation.
2. Te Taiao is a Māori way of thinking about the world that includes people and communities as part of the vast natural ecosystem. Thinking in this way can encourage understanding that our wellbeing is intrinsically linked to the health of the environment. Our environment is often at the heart of what matters to New Zealanders, and we all feel physical, emotional, social and intergenerational ties to our land. Strengthen these ties by learning about te Taiao when designing community initiatives.
3. Respect all views. Effective community-led initiatives draw on diverse knowledge systems, including traditional knowledge and modern science. Invite people with different expertise, lived experiences, and perspectives to contribute. Weaving these threads of knowledge together builds strong, effective solutions.
4. Establish shared values. To work together effectively, communities must establish shared values and agreed ways of working together. This process enables everyone in the group to understand what matters to each other and how they will collaborate with mutual respect.

Relationships and connections

People often have a deep emotional connection to where they live – the people, community and environment. Successful community-led projects tap into that connection, helping community members grow even deeper roots, and build a shared sense of ownership and responsibility for the wellbeing of people and place.

5. People connect to places. Those with a strong emotional attachment to their home are more likely to respect, protect, care for and improve it. Look for ways to deepen the connection between community members and their place. Invite people to share their stories, memories, and hopes for the future. This helps people connect with one another and with their place, deepening their sense of belonging and wellbeing.
6. Communities lead change. Place-based initiatives driven by the community are more likely to be successful, because they lead to meaningful and trusting relationships. When diverse networks of community members support and learn from each other, they can develop truly sustainable and equitable solutions. In contrast, a top-down approach, where an initiative is designed and imposed by an external group, tends to be less effective.
7. Collaboration and participation are key to a successful place-based initiative. It’s important to bring everyone to the table: mana whenua, residents, businesses, government agencies. Successful initiatives are often connected to large networks of organisations and individuals, who learn from and support each other’s efforts towards a shared vision for the future, creating a movement for change. Create opportunities for people to share knowledge and ideas, and build relationships.

Long-term sustainability

A thriving community can be achieved in many ways, but for a place-based initiative to succeed, it must plan to have a sustainable long-term future.

8. Measure success with broader metrics that evaluate the wellbeing of people and the environment. The outcomes of your community project will have social, cultural, environmental, and economic dimensions. While financial viability is important, community members often see this as a way to achieve other, more important values.
9. Integrated solutions should aim to address the interconnectedness of social, economic, environmental, and cultural issues. Place-based initiatives must adopt a holistic approach to problem-solving, rather than focusing on a single technical fix. Solutions should consider the broader context and aim for long-term positive impact on the community and the environment.
10. Effective leadership brings people together, builds a shared vision, supports the community in achieving its goals, and develops local leaders within the community. Identify potential leaders early and provide them with opportunities to develop their skills and confidence.
11. Access to resources is critical. Even with strong intentions and community support, lack of funding or expertise can hinder progress. Think about practical needs from the outset, including funding, people, expertise, information and communication. Ideally, funding for place-based projects should be flexible, enabling strategic risk-taking and innovation.

Conclusion

These principles were developed through Revitalise te Taiao, a community-led research programme that aimed to create enduring environmental and economic benefits in three rural communities. They were identified from a review of 63 case studies by 25 experts, including scientists and researchers, community leaders, mātauranga Māori practitioners, and representatives from Māori agribusiness, industry and government. These principles were then tested in communities over two years.

Do you have experience in developing principles for place-based community participation in other parts of the world? Are there similarities with those we have developed for Aotearoa New Zealand? How do they differ?

To find out more:

Turner, J. (2025). Principles for place-based community participation. AgResearch Ltd, Research Brief: Hamilton, New Zealand. (Online – open access) (DOI): https://doi.org/10.57935/AGR.28970987.v1 (This i2Insights contribution is based on this document, with sections taken verbatim or only slightly modified.)

Turner, J. A., Stokes, S., Te Hurinui Jones, R., Hemi, M., Collins, H., Vannier, C., Burkitt, L., Bradley, C., Doehring, K., Macintosh, K. A., Young, J., Roskruge, N., Perry-Smith, P., Kahukura Iosefa, R., Walker, N., Young, F., Bell, A., McDermott, A. and Wood, C. (2024). Co-production of insights for place-based approaches to revitalise te taiao in Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand Geographer, 80: 233–244. (Online – open access) (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1111/nzg.12408

For more on how the three rural communities in Revitalise te Taiao put the 11 principles into practice see the Revitalise te Taiao website: (Online): https://revitalisetetaiao.co.nz/

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement: Generative artificial intelligence was not used in the development of this i2Insights contribution. (For i2Insights policy on generative artificial intelligence please see https://i2insights.org/contributing-to-i2insights/guidelines-for-authors/#artificial-intelligence.)

Biography: James A. Turner PhD is a senior social scientist at AgResearch, Kirikiriroa (Hamilton), Aotearoa New Zealand. He has a background in forestry and agriculture, and interests in the power of shifting thinking from ‘humanity as separate from nature’ to ‘humanity participating as nature’. He is passionate about community-led innovation to tackle the complex and interconnected challenges facing rural communities.