Deep Boroughs Network Rebalancing Power Through the CAN Network
Updated: Jun 16
In regeneration spaces like Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and surrounding East London areas, conversations about “engagement” are common.
Real power-sharing is not.
As one of the 15 organisations leading the Community Anchor Network (CAN), Deep Boroughs Network (DBN), is helping shift the narrative from consultation to structural influence.
This shift is grounded in a clear principle:
“Deep Boroughs Network is committed to non-extractive partnership models that rebalance power, ensure shared governance, and translate lived experience into measurable institutional change.” (DBN™)
What Does Non-Extractive Partnership Mean?
Deep Boroughs Network™ (DBN™) recognises that large-scale developments can unintentionally become extractive by:
Gathering community input without shared authority
Elevating local voices without redistributing power
Relying on unpaid community labour
Delivering short-term engagement without accountability
Copied content. Reproduction of community-developed concepts, work without recognition
Treating lived experience as commentary rather than leadership
DBN™ exists to help set a different standard.
DBN™ defines Non-Extractive Partnership™ as a commitment to shared authority, structural accountability, and long-term community value.
Within the Community Network (CAN), an LLDC partnership connecting local organisations with Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park institutions, this approach is not optional. It is the benchmark for credible practice.
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