New research shows that eight out of ten people think everyone should be able to experience beauty on a regular basis. Only 18 per cent of people think that beauty matters less if you are poor.

The findings form part of a project called People and places, led by the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and CABE. It examines how to get people interested and involved in shaping the quality of the place where they live.

In the nationwide survey conducted by Ipsos MORI, people were asked about beauty and the built environment: how important beauty is to them; where they experience it most often; who they think is responsible for it; and whether they think there is enough beauty in their area.

Richard Simmons, CABE chief executive, said: ‘Our research shows that everyone has a view on beauty. It is closely linked to our individual sense of well-being: our personal worth, collective pride and appetite for making places better. We know beauty matters to people: why not use it explicitly to have conversations about how to improve places?‘

Only 37 per cent of people now think they can influence decisions affecting their local area, down from 44 per cent in 2001. Fewer than one in five people took part last year in a civic consultation. The government wants to give people more power to shape the look and feel of the places where they live.

AHRC Chief Executive Professor Rick Rylance, said: ‘Who wants to live in an ugly place? Who doesn't want graceful buildings and to watch trees turning the colours of autumn? This project is about important things: about having an environment that inspires and enriches; about having a sense of belonging to it; and about having a voice in its making. Its questions couldn't be more urgent, nor its findings more timely. The AHRC welcomes the report with enthusiasm.'

The new research reveals that 44% of people think councils have more responsibility than anyone else for ensuring the built environment is beautiful. More than half of the lower income group thought there was not enough beauty in their area. Nearly two thirds of respondents (65%) have experienced beauty in the natural environment and nearly half (47%) in art. Only 12 per cent of people are too busy to notice beauty in their area.

Jack Dale (13) was one of those filmed as part of the research. He cannot bear his surroundings (Park Hill, Sheffield) and talks about finding beauty in a ruined castle on the edge of the city. ‘It’s somewhere we hang out and look after. We stand up to other people who don’t. What’s the point in trashing things? If there is no beauty in your life, just horrible stuff, you’re not going to be a nice person’.

As part of the project seven thinkers were asked to respond to the question ‘does beauty matter?’ Essays by Diana Athill OBE; architect Irena Bauman; philosophers Matthew Kieran and Glenn Parsons; cultural economist Hasan Bakhshi; critic Bonnie Greer OBE; and architecture professor Alan Powers are available to download from the Cabe website.

With help from inspirational films, we are also inviting the public to join the discussion. Visit the Cabe website to share your views.

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Notes to Editors

 CABE and AHRC commissioned the research Does Beauty Matter? Public attitudes to beauty from Ipsos MORI. The research covers films, ethnographic studies, discussion groups and a national omnibus survey. Sheffield was the case study location, chosen to build up a detailed understanding of how beauty is understood and experienced by a single community, with common touch points for comparison. To download the research or view the films visit www.cabe.org.uk/people-and-places

 37% of people agree they can influence decisions affecting their local area (MORI Citizenship survey 2010).

 CABE has run a photo competition with Dezeen and The Photographers’ Gallery to find ‘Areas of Outstanding Urban Beauty’. There were over 750 entries. To see the winning entries visit www.cabe.org.uk/news/aoub-shortlist

 To read the essays visit www.cabe.org.uk/publications

 The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. Each year the AHRC provides approximately £112 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,350 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.

 CABE is the government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space. As a public body, we encourage policymakers to create places that work for people. We help local planners apply national design policy and offer expert advice to developers and architects. We show public sector clients how to commission buildings that meet the needs of their users. And we seek to inspire the public to demand more from their buildings and spaces. Advising, influencing and inspiring, we work to create well-designed, welcoming places.