From play areas to green spaces and wildflower meadows, these communal features all contribute to how a community feels and functions. That’s why they must be managed with intention through sustainability initiatives, encouraging connection and by delivering long-term value for the community.
Across FirstPort’s UK-wide property management portfolio, the focus is increasingly on how communal areas can be cared for in ways that reflect residents’ priorities. This means greener spaces, stronger communities, and environments that support wellbeing.
Jonny Holmes, South West Director at FirstPort, explains: “Residents want to feel proud of their surroundings. Our role is to manage these areas by keeping them safe, sustainable and enjoyable.”
Environmentally friendly property management
Adding environmentally friendly features to communal areas is a simple way to create spaces that support the natural habitats surrounding a development. At a large residential development in Bristol, a sustainability review is underway to help enhance the site’s natural environment.
An ecological survey is being carried out to understand the species currently inhabiting the area and to identify opportunities to enrich local habitats. The findings will feed into a long-term habitat improvement plan designed to support biodiversity across the entire site. “We’re looking at the bigger picture,” Jonny explains. “Our focus is on how we can enhance the environment as a whole and improve the surroundings for our residents.”
Planned improvements include installing bird and bat boxes, while any trees that are being removed for safety reasons will be repurposed into wood chippings for use around the gardens. Where possible, works are being scheduled to avoid nesting season and minimise disruption to wildlife. “It’s about caring for the place our residents call home,” Jonny adds. “We’re managing the landscape in a thoughtful way that supports nature and creates a more enjoyable environment for everyone.”
Shared spaces that bring people together
Well managed communal areas also create opportunities for connection. Allotments are a growing feature within residential developments, offering residents the chance to grow their own produce while building relationships with neighbours.
“Allotments are a great example of delivering high value for residents,” Jonny says. “They don’t require complicated structures or intensive maintenance, but they bring people together. Residents take ownership, and that builds a genuine sense of community.”
These spaces often bring together people of different ages and backgrounds, creating natural opportunities for interaction. The role of the property manager is to support this by ensuring the space is safe and accessible, while allowing residents to shape how it is used.
Communal spaces to support wellbeing
Communal areas also play an important role in supporting wellbeing. Sensory gardens, for example, are becoming more common within residential developments. Designed to be inclusive and engaging, sensory gardens offer calm, restorative environments that contrast with the pace of everyday life.
Jonny explains: “A sensory garden should feel like a sanctuary. Our role is to manage it, so residents always experience it as intended. It should be a place that’s calm, welcoming and cared for.”
These spaces rely on consistent and thoughtful upkeep. When managed and maintained well, they provide a shared focal point for the community and contribute to a more positive living environment.
Supporting biodiversity
Not all improvements need to be large scale to have an impact. Smaller initiatives, such as hedgehog highways that allow wildlife to move between gardens and green spaces, are increasingly being added into residential developments. While they may go unnoticed by many residents, they form an important part of the site’s long-term environmental strategy.
Once a development is occupied, maintaining these features becomes part of the property manager’s responsibility, ensuring they continue to function and support local ecosystems.
Jonny says: “These initiatives may be subtle. But looking after them helps maintain a healthy landscape and habitat across the areas our residents call home.”
The evolving role of property management
Communal areas are more than a routine management responsibility. They are long term commitments to residents’ wellbeing, local biodiversity and the character of a development. When these spaces are cared for with intention, they help create communities that residents are proud to call home.
Jonny says: “Our job is to make sure communal areas are not only well maintained but genuinely add value and build more sustainable communities.”
Episode 2 of FirstPort’s Built, Managed, Lived. podcast explores what truly cultivates community spirit and how residents, companies and local organisations can work together to strengthen it. Listen to it here:
