Deep Boroughs Network Rebalancing Power Through the CAN Network
- Deep Boroughs
- Feb 19
- 1 min read
Updated: Mar 2
In regeneration spaces like Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 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), Stratford 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.”
What Does Non-Extractive Partnership Mean?
What Does Non-Extractive Partnership Mean?
Deep Boroughs Network™ (DBN™) recognises that many large-scale developments, whether institutional, governmental, or corporate, can unintentionally operate in extractive ways. This can include:
Gathering community input without shared authority
Elevating local voices without redistributing power
Relying on unpaid community contribution
Delivering short-term engagement without structural accountability
Valuing lived experience as commentary rather than leadership
Deep Boroughs Network™ sets a different standard.
DBN™ does not treat community participation as consultation. DBN™ defines Non-Extractive Partnership™ as a governance commitment grounded in shared authority, structural accountability, and long-term value creation.
Within the Community Anchor Network (CAN), an LLDC partnership connecting local community organisations with Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park institutions to embed community voice in governance and decision-making, this standard is not optional. It is the benchmark for credible practice.
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