How Covid-19 has led to a revival of community life
The notion of ‘community’ may have lost significance in recent years, but Covid-19 has certainly led to a revival of its importance, writes David Grover – Group CEO of Saudi Arabia’s ROSHN
The theme for this year’s edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) could not have been more apt. ‘Neo Renaissance’, translated as ‘new revival’, implies the creation of a new golden age of learning, creativity, and innovation; an era of renewal following a period of stagnation.
2020 was undoubtedly a dark year in our collective history. And, whilst it served as a harsh lesson for governments, investors, policymakers, and business leaders alike, there is little doubt that it has provided us with a much-needed opportunity to reflect upon our long-held beliefs on how we should work, live, and socialise.
For many leaders it quickly became apparent that the approaches that we have previously relied upon are not as conducive to success as we once thought; and what we really need is a reimagining of ideas – a renewed pursuit of wisdom and commitment to innovation to shape a better future for all.
Revival is an important theme at ROSHN. The pandemic has served to highlight the importance of community – a notion that has lost some of its relevance in the 21st century. In the past few decades there has been a marked move away from collectivism and towards individualism. The idea of a community as a physical location has evolved into a notion less focused on a literal place and more on a group of people that choose to come together due to a shared passion or perceived identity.
Community in the 21st century has come to transcend borders. Whilst this new concept of community has many advantages, this does not mean that the traditional notion should become obsolete. In fact, our ability to recover in a post-Covid-19 world is very much a shared responsibility, and one that relies upon the support and participation of our neighbours. Perhaps then our very understanding of the term community requires a rethink…a revival.
What represents a great community? Job creation, a supportive supply chain and reinvestment back into the locale are all crucial. Additionally, in a strong mixed-use community, the daily and weekly needs of residents can be met within its parameters; this includes providing access to top quality schooling, healthcare facilities, retail outlets, green space, food and beverage establishments, entertainment and wellness centres, transport links etc.
It is important to remember that in a community, everything is connected – children’s educational attainment is often linked to several socio-economic factors including standard of living and overall community prosperity. Thus, ensuring happy, healthy and successful residents requires a collective effort.
At ROSHN our aim is to reimagine community living by developing quality homes to suit all tastes and budgets with best-in-class amenities and facilities to provide a highly desirable living experience. By creating great communities, we firmly believe that we are making long-term investments not only in the future of the kingdom’s cities, but in its people. We want to develop vibrant communities that empower residents to lead lives that are most meaningful to them.
Fully aligned with Vision 2030, we support the government’s efforts to raise the rate of home-ownership in the country to 70 percent over the next decade. Home-ownership has several important social benefits – from greater civic participation to wealth creation. ROSHN will also work with Saudi-owned businesses to deliver on its mandate to develop homes for Saudi people. Not only will this stimulate the local contracting sector, but by working together, we can make important advancements in the infrastructure and real estate development industries which are crucial to the kingdom’s economic diversification efforts.
The revival of the local community is more than just creating attractive living environments for residents; it is about developing flourishing ecosystems that combine quality and accessible housing with best-in-class amenities to support aspirational living for all – from residents to business owners.
The past year has certainly highlighted that our fates are shared and that to succeed we need one another. At ROSHN, we firmly believe that the concept of community has simply needed reimagining. We are confident that our communities truly represent the future of residential living.
David Grover – Group CEO of Saudi Arabia’s ROSHN, a real estate company launched by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) specialising in developing integrated urban neighbourhoods.
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How Covid-19 has led to a revival of community life
The notion of ‘community’ may have lost significance in recent years, but Covid-19 has certainly led to a revival of its importance, writes David Grover – Group CEO of Saudi Arabia’s ROSHN
The theme for this year’s edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) could not have been more apt. ‘Neo Renaissance’, translated as ‘new revival’, implies the creation of a new golden age of learning, creativity, and innovation; an era of renewal following a period of stagnation.
2020 was undoubtedly a dark year in our collective history. And, whilst it served as a harsh lesson for governments, investors, policymakers, and business leaders alike, there is little doubt that it has provided us with a much-needed opportunity to reflect upon our long-held beliefs on how we should work, live, and socialise.
For many leaders it quickly became apparent that the approaches that we have previously relied upon are not as conducive to success as we once thought; and what we really need is a reimagining of ideas – a renewed pursuit of wisdom and commitment to innovation to shape a better future for all.
Revival is an important theme at ROSHN. The pandemic has served to highlight the importance of community – a notion that has lost some of its relevance in the 21st century. In the past few decades there has been a marked move away from collectivism and towards individualism. The idea of a community as a physical location has evolved into a notion less focused on a literal place and more on a group of people that choose to come together due to a shared passion or perceived identity.
Community in the 21st century has come to transcend borders. Whilst this new concept of community has many advantages, this does not mean that the traditional notion should become obsolete. In fact, our ability to recover in a post-Covid-19 world is very much a shared responsibility, and one that relies upon the support and participation of our neighbours. Perhaps then our very understanding of the term community requires a rethink…a revival.
What represents a great community? Job creation, a supportive supply chain and reinvestment back into the locale are all crucial. Additionally, in a strong mixed-use community, the daily and weekly needs of residents can be met within its parameters; this includes providing access to top quality schooling, healthcare facilities, retail outlets, green space, food and beverage establishments, entertainment and wellness centres, transport links etc.
It is important to remember that in a community, everything is connected – children’s educational attainment is often linked to several socio-economic factors including standard of living and overall community prosperity. Thus, ensuring happy, healthy and successful residents requires a collective effort.
At ROSHN our aim is to reimagine community living by developing quality homes to suit all tastes and budgets with best-in-class amenities and facilities to provide a highly desirable living experience. By creating great communities, we firmly believe that we are making long-term investments not only in the future of the kingdom’s cities, but in its people. We want to develop vibrant communities that empower residents to lead lives that are most meaningful to them.
Fully aligned with Vision 2030, we support the government’s efforts to raise the rate of home-ownership in the country to 70 percent over the next decade. Home-ownership has several important social benefits – from greater civic participation to wealth creation. ROSHN will also work with Saudi-owned businesses to deliver on its mandate to develop homes for Saudi people. Not only will this stimulate the local contracting sector, but by working together, we can make important advancements in the infrastructure and real estate development industries which are crucial to the kingdom’s economic diversification efforts.
The revival of the local community is more than just creating attractive living environments for residents; it is about developing flourishing ecosystems that combine quality and accessible housing with best-in-class amenities to support aspirational living for all – from residents to business owners.
The past year has certainly highlighted that our fates are shared and that to succeed we need one another. At ROSHN, we firmly believe that the concept of community has simply needed reimagining. We are confident that our communities truly represent the future of residential living.
David Grover – Group CEO of Saudi Arabia’s ROSHN, a real estate company launched by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) specialising in developing integrated urban neighbourhoods.
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