Five years ago we started asking the people who live around the Little BIG House some fairly blunt questions, and committed to publishing the answers.
Connection here is up on every measure we track, and it is strongest closest to the front door. Agreement that this is a kind and caring community is up 18.6% since 2022. The number of people respondents interact with regularly with other in the community is up whopping 136.0%.
And, we are proud of this one, 84.2% have met someone new through the Little BIG House in the last twelve months.
This year's big inisghts:
1. Repetition does the work, and nobody credits it.
Asked what makes an event work, only 11% of people name its regularity. But 43% describe something that only repetition can deliver: seeing the same faces, not having to introduce yourself again, knowing someone will be there.
If you are choosing between a bigger launch event and a smaller one that recurs every week, choose the one that recurs.
2. Proximity does not make connection. A human running a program does.
Density on its own produces neighbours who pass each other in a foyer. What converts proximity into acquaintance is a programmed space with a reason to stop.
95.8% of residents living in the Flour Mill (hyperlocal to the Little BIG House) agree they interact more often with their neighbours after attending Little BIG House programs. Across all respondents, 78.4% agree with this.
Volunteers and hosts are the least lonely group in the entire survey, at 4.3% against 17.1% of non-volunteers. 90% say volunteering has increased their sense of belonging and 84% have made new friends through it.
They are also local. Three quarters live within walking distance, which is what happens when programs are started by people who were already in the room rather than by organisers arriving to hire a venue.
“Being a host at the Little BIG House has made me feel more connected to the community, and let me meet and connect with new people outside of my usual circle of friends and childcare circles.”
We cannot fully separate cause from selection, but the association holds on every connection measure we track rather than on one, and it strengthens the closer people live to the Little BIG House. For anyone building housing, this is the finding that matters most. The room is the starting point. The people and the programs are what makes it work.
3. The Little BIG House continues to be a highly valued community asset
98.7% of respondents say physical spaces for community interaction matter to them, and 93.0% want the markets and the food festival to continue.
Among residents of the Flour Mill, 90.2% say the Little BIG House makes it a better place to live and 86.0% say it adds value to their property. The recommendation score for living at the Flour Mill is +81.
When asked what they would look for if they moved somewhere new, 74.8% named a programmed community hub like the Little BIG House. That is ahead of a community garden (48.3%), a gym (39.6%), a pool (37.2%) and a playground (30.5%).
These are powerful indicators of community desire and intent, and we think councils and developers should take them seriously.
4. The lessons are repeatable
Our space reads as a living room. A long table. A kettle. An event that recurs, a host who welcomes people by name, fifteen minutes to linger afterwards, mingling planned rather than left to chance, and a group chat to carry it between sessions.
We want to stress one thing in particular: more flexible space is not the answer. Intentional space, with a program in it, is what delivers outcomes.
Read the report
The full 2026 Community Impact Findings, including our methodology, five-year comparisons and the national benchmarks we measure ourselves against, is available here. [LINK]
If you are a developer, council or community organisation thinking about designing connection into a place rather than hoping for it afterwards, we would like to hear from you: hello@littlebigfoundation.org