It hardly matters what kind of policy meeting it is, it's always the same when you talk about community. Someone will pipe up and talk about the shift to virtual communities, or communities of interest.
Which is true, of course - but only up to a point. Localism is impossible without real geographical communities. So are most solutions to social problems. So are most public services. But at last politicians are beginning to remember the importance of place, and among them is Nick Clegg:
http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/2011/12/15/the-vital-importance-of-place-for-re-growing-economies