Housing and the Material Imagination – Earth,Fire, Air and Water

This paper focuses on the possibilities of the material imagination as a theoretical and practical lens for contemporary housing research. The emphasis is on housing/home as complex material cultural assemblages interwoven across the four key ancient elements: earth, air, fire and water. The principle behind the material imagination is that “matter” – which we are immersed in and indeed ourselves composed of – is important, indeed underpins everything, and yet is typically rendered invisible within housing theory and research. As a critical response to social scientific engagement – “a needed radical corrective” – the potential of the material imagination for housing theory and practice is considered in ways that purposively attend to the elemental dimensions of housing as dynamic, fluid environments comprised of living matter. Suggestions for taking this approach forward through empirical housing studies are outlined.     

Climbing the city. Inhabiting verticality outside of comfort bubbles

Over the last couple of decades, urban sports have been studied – as well as, in many cases, celebrated – as critical forms of using urban space. Urban climbing, a practice also known as “street bouldering,” “buildering,” “structuring,” and “stegophilia,” has been much explored in this vein. While we acknowledge the importance of bringing to light the political and playful dimensions of the urban spatial experience, in this piece we would like to focus on a slightly different question. We approach it as a powerful means to probe and understand the finest constitution of urban environments and, more amply, urban morphology. By doing so, we wish, on the one hand, to zoom in as closely as possible onto the actual bodily practice of climbing, and, on the other, to attend its methodological implications in terms of a reflection on bodily techniques in the context of a natural history of the city. We describe urban climbing as a peculiar corporeal operation carried out at and, more precisely, on the limits of environmental control. In conclusion, the article suggests that, by highlighting the meaning of inhabiting a vertical open space of a peculiar kind, a close-up study of urban climbing might help to develop contemporary urban theory.     

Investigating the New Landscapes of Welfare: Housing Policy,Politics and the Emerging Research Agenda

As debates about housing form an increasingly important arena of political controversy, much has been written about the new fissures that have appeared as governments not only struggle to reduce public expenditure deficits but also attempt to address problems such as affordability and homelessness. It is widely anticipated that new conflicts will be played out in the private rental market as access to homeownership becomes unrealistic and the supply of social housing diminishes. However, what other tensions might surface; that hitherto have not been subject to the critical gaze of housing research? In this paper, we provide some thoughts on the nascent policy issues as well as the ideological schisms that are likely to develop in coming years, offering suggestions as to how the focus of housing policy research might be reoriented towards a “politics” framework to capture and better understand the conflicts that are likely to arise.     

The political economy of housing policy in Norway

By comparative standards, Norwegian housing policy has been successful when viewed from principles of choice, economy, rates of production, and the social use of housing as a (limited) equaliser. This article discusses the reasons for the success, with particular focus upon the saving‐investment foundation of policy and the ways housing credit and housing allowances have been used to express social idealism. As a study of political economy, this article draws upon interdisciplinary social science in economics, politics, history, and social administration. Cause and reason is given for the post‐1973 impacts of stagflation upon the Norwegian housing system, and we are able to draw conclusions in which we specify useful housing theory as a set of operating guidelines.     

Towards modern urban housing: redefining Shanghai's lilong

This paper examines both the traditional and the modern aspects of the lilong, traditional low‐rise row houses adapted from the Western tradition to accommodate the families of Chinese workers from the beginning of the Treaty Port era in the late 19th century to the establishment of the People's Republic in 1948. The paper aims to redefine the abstract concept of the lilong, arguing for their potential to be rethought as a typology of low–medium rise‐high density (LMRHD) housing today. In particular, the paper delivers a practical answer to a conceptual question: how does lilong provide the dwelling identity of Shanghai, China, taking into account its form, meaning, and culture? The emergence of both lilong and Western modern housing is rooted in a crisis of space and the economic drive of modern cities. Lilong architecture and the normative living programme embedded in the typology of modern housing have been proper development housing strategies in modern Shanghai. By closely examining both the physical and community aspects that make lilong a mediating agency between Chinese locality and Western modernity, the paper presents the assumption that the architecture of lilong does not confine itself to certain forms or physical configurations; instead it is an “abstract concept” of an urban neighbourhood – the spatial organization, architectural practicality, casual formation of semi‐private space, and community lane‐life – a concept that should be taken into account for the design of urban housing today. The redefinition of lilong is a conceptual idea that will serve as a point of departure for the last part of the paper: a discussion of the possibility to develop this housing strategy for today's situation. This paper also presents the preliminary strategies for the designing of the new LMRHD housing.     

Interstitial Space and Everyday Housing Practices

Abstract

This paper explores the role of interstitial space and everyday housing practices at the domestic scale. Interstitial space is often framed as “empty” or “in-between” space located in the shadows of conventional built form and everyday practices. In this paper, we focus on interstitial space as a site of often undervalued or taken-for-granted housing possibility. We begin the paper by outlining the contours of interstitial space as a theoretical concept before highlighting two cross-cultural examples of domestic housing storage practices within the Australian context: (1) “under the house” in the Queensland vernacular and (2) “close to the wind-break” in a remote Aboriginal community in the centre of Australia. We conclude by drawing attention to the importance of interstitial spatial practices for housing theory and practice and offer suggestions for further research.     

Economics,politics, and housing finance

Some recent work in housing research seems to downplay the role of politics in forming the content of housing policy. Building on the “power resources” and “state autonomy” approaches developed in welfare state research, this article outlines an explanatory framework including ideological and constituent factors most important to policy choice, as well as such institutional factors which may hamper or help policy choice. Using the Swedish debate over the 1984 housing tax proposal, it is shown that parties on each side of the capital‐labour divide recommend policy alternatives which are (a) in line with their ideological preferences, and (b) conducive to satisfying the perceived demands of the parties’ main constituencies. It is concluded that while economic factors may initiate policy action, ideological, political, and institutional factors are decisive for the content of such action.     

Agency transformation and state public utility commissions

The demise of public utility commissions has been periodically predicted (sometimes hoped for). In their long history they have been attacked by critics as ineffective, inefficient, expensive, or unnecessary. Further, the demonstrated survivability of the commission concept has often been uncharitably attributed to powerful political constituencies, self-preservation maneuverings by commissioners themselves, and inertia. The implications of this article point another way. Commission regulation of public utilities has survived mainly because of continued need for social oversight of these critical industry sectors and the capacity of PUCs strategically to adapt to fundamental changes in their surroundings. Two transformational upheavals are treated here – a challenge of flexibility and responsiveness by the dramatic run-up in costs and prices in the 1970s and challenge to relevance by the policy shift to greater reliance on market competition in the 1990s – and regulation's successful accommodation to them. Viewed this way commission regulation is more in a position of “second wind” than “last breath.”     

The Big Society and the Conjunction of Crises: Justifying Welfare Reform and Undermining Social Housing

Abstract

The idea of the “Big Society” can be seen as culmination of a long-standing debate about the regulation of welfare. Situating the concept within governance theory, the article considers how the UK coalition government has justified a radical restructuring of welfare provision, and considers its implications for housing provision. Although drawing on earlier modernization processes, the article contends that the genesis for welfare reform was based on an analysis that the government was forced to respond to a unique conjunction of crises: in morality, the state, ideology and economics. The government has therefore embarked upon a programme, which has served to undermine the legitimacy of the social housing sector (most notably in England), with detrimental consequences for residents and raising significant dilemmas for those working in the housing sector.     

The “Pink Pound” in the “Gaybourhood”? Neighbourhood Deprivation and Sexual Orientation in Scotland

Abstract

The emergence of geographic concentrations of non-heterosexual individuals – so-called “gaybourhoods” – is often linked to housing, demographic characteristics of the non-straight population and wider discrimination. These neighbourhoods are associated with narratives of gentrification with the non-straight population acting as gentrification pioneers. In popular imagery, non-straight households are typically portrayed with higher disposable income, and more likely to live in owner-occupied apartments in affluent neighbourhoods. This paper presents data from the Scottish Health Survey showing a disproportionate concentration of non-heterosexual people in the most deprived places in Scotland. These neighbourhoods are predominantly peripheral housing estates, dominated by social housing; not gentrifying inner-city neighbourhoods. We use data from the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) to interrogate individual characteristics that might explain this spatial concentration of residence. We argue this means the narratives of LGBT gentrification and affluence should be regarded with caution given ongoing exclusion and deprivation among the non-heterosexual population.     

Homo Economicus in a Big Society: Understanding Middle-class Activism and NIMBYism towards New Housing Developments

Abstract

Problems of housing supply and affordability in England have long been recognized by policy-makers. A key barrier to supply is seen to be community activism by so-called not-in-my-back-yard activists (NIMBYs). The localism policy agenda, or devolving decision-making down to the local level, is central to how the UK coalition government seek to overcome this opposition. This conceives NIMBYism as a demonstration of homo economicus – of the rationality of economic beings seeking to maximize their utility. In this view, residents would not accept large urban extensions in suburban areas because they took on localized costs with no obvious benefits, unless incentivised appropriately. In this paper, we use analysis of British Social Attitudes Survey data as well as the results of the first review of middle-class activism in relation to public services to identify the likelihood of residents being incentivized by this version of localism to accept new housing. We conclude that the evidence on the individual and collective attitudes suggests that it is unlikely that localism will deliver new housing. Importantly, the political power of affluent and professional groups means they can ensure that their opposition is heard, particularly in the neighbourhood plans delivered through localism. The paper argues that planning for housing needs to understand communities as homo democraticus – as actively engaged in negotiating between complex interests with respect to support for new housing.     

The Politics of “Parental Co-Habitation”: Austerity,Household, and the Social Evils of Dependency

The household as a social formation is being assigned a renewed function in the provision of social welfare via neoliberal austerity politics. Government inaction regarding housing provision is forcing millions of young adults into “parental co-habitation”. In contrast to the dominant ideological view of the family as a school of liberty through the provision of welfare, this article argues that the dependence of millions of young adults on the parental household is degenerative both for the individual “recipient” and for the future democratic character of the polity. Mobilizing a Neo-Roman analysis of Liberty, I argue that housing policy is promoting the long-term creation of “slaves” as part of a wider strategy of oligarchic domination. The article seeks to articulate an explicitly political theoretical critique of “parental co-habitation” and advocates for directed government action in the area of housing provision to secure the autonomy and independence of a generation otherwise reduced to “slavishness”.     

Private Renting in a Home-owning Society: Disaster,Diversity or Deviance?

The rise in private renting in home ownership societies has been variously interpreted as increasing risk and insecurity and providing more flexible housing options for an increasingly diverse resident cohort. Drawing on an original survey and in-depth interviews with private renters in two cities in a classic home ownership society (Australia), there is clear support for the “disaster” interpretation in respect of low-income households renting in outer urban areas, with financial stress and insecurity reflecting and compounding disadvantage. For many others, private renting can be interpreted as a “constructive coping” strategy in the context of urban housing market restructuring. A sizeable cohort of private renters explicitly prioritises living in a desired inner/middle city location over owning. One – albeit relatively small group – appears “deviant” from the home ownership norm in associating private renting with greater lifestyle freedom. The paper contributes an understanding that location and lifestyle are of paramount importance to many private renters rather than housing tenure per se.     

“GOOD” NEIGHBORHOODS IN PORTLAND,OREGON: FOCUS ON BOTH SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS

ABSTRACT: We conduct an empirical investigation of the social environment of “good” neighborhoods in physical form in a model of the “compact city,” Portland, Oregon and discuss the implications for design and evaluation of policies inspired by smart growth and new urbanist movements that focus on the urban form and transportation dimensions of neighborhoods, and of housing assistance policies designed to change the economic mix in neighborhoods. We conceptualize the physical and social dimensions of the “good” neighborhood environment and develop an approach to operationalization that uses publicly available data. Our findings indicate that for the most part, Portland has been successful in creating neighborhoods at several economic scales that feature not only the connectivity, accessibility, mixed land use, and access to public transit that characterize “good” neighborhoods from a physical perspective, but also a “good” social environment indicative of strong ties and collective efficacy. However, there are signs that in the process, Portland may be creating poverty areas that lack connectivity, accessibility, and access to public transit and a mix of destinations.     

Modern housing estates and the production of the Brazilian city (1937–1960)

ABSTRACT

The social issue of housing has been a focal point in the criticism of Brazilian modernity, and it still plays a central role in the balance of Brazilian democracy. This paper discusses the investments in modern housing made by the welfare system in Brazil and which are related to the country's transition toward an urban society in the late 1930s. The analysis concludes in the 1960s, when these investments ended. The relationship between housing and the industrial economy characterized urban development in Brazil in this period. The latter saw direct state intervention in overseeing the building of houses for urban workers. This process started during Brazil's authoritarian regime [1937–1945], just as the cycle of Brazilian industrial democracy began in the mid-forties. The state housing policy worsened the urban crisis while also increasing the real estate market. It triggered several major controversies including an imbalance in urban classes associated with exclusively rich and poor neighbourhoods. The extension of the housing policy and social benefits to all citizens triggered tensions. These findings explain the challenges of political process, the changes in the housing policy and the swelling of Brazilian urban society.     

The social use of market processes in British and Hungarian housing policies

The switch of state subsidies away from support for public housing investment and towards an intensification of market processes is no longer the prerogative of Western countries, but, in the 1980s, has also become a feature of some state socialist societies. However, given the contrasting social, political and economic character of these societies, does the apparently similar process of privatisation in fact have the same characteristics, meaning and social consequences?

In this paper Britain and Hungary have been chosen as countries representative of the two social systems and in which market processes have intensified. The comparison begins by examining the social meaning of'owning’ and ‘renting’, the historical context of the development of housing policy, the allocation systems, rents, and subsidies. Focusing on the social housing sector the paper contrasts current housing issues. Particular attention is given to the “Right to Buy” policy which is a common feature in the 1980s of housing policy in both countries.

As a result of their mainly empirical comparison the authors conclude that privatisation in Britain and Hungary occurred in housing systems which have been similar in their tenure structure but very different in historical context. Because the broad social‐political context of privatisation is different, particularly the economic and institutional interests rooted within this issue, it is not inevitable that the regressive social consequences of measures which promote the privatisation process (which are common to both countries) are automatically negative in terms of the general sociological assessment.Thus comparison can help in the preparation of policy options and the assessment of new possibilities, but only as background. Strategies should be evaluated primarily against the social‐political context of each country and against the current policy objectives.     

The Danish housing market: Housing policies for different housing tenure

Since 1987 interest and publication in Norwegian housing policies have increased significantly. This article deepens and widens my earlier published work on Norwegian housing policy, and it responds to some earlier reviews of my work. The central themes of the article are that Norway has used state policy to develop its housing sector over many decades; that since the mid‐1970s policy makers have had to adjust their housing system to national and international macro‐economic change; and that in a comparative perspective, Norway has pursued housing policies which have important anti‐poverty elements, some egalitarianism, and some useful choice and efficiencies. Norway has used balanced state, market, and self‐help roles to develop its housing sector, and the institutional framework in which these roles operate has been reformed since the late‐1970s in the light of changing economic, social, and political conditions. Changes in the international economy have been particularly significant as Norway depends upon the international economy to sustain its living standards, including its housing standards.     

Generative methods in urban design: a progress assessment

The year 2007 marked the 20‐year anniversary of A New Theory of Urban Design (1987), a slender volume by Christopher Alexander and colleagues that serves as a notable milepost within the half‐century old “design methods movement” in which Alexander himself played a seminal role. The “generative” design method of A New Theory focused less upon the specification of a final form through schematic planning, and more on the stepwise process by which a form might emerge from the evolutionary actions of a group of collaborators. In so doing, it challenged the notion of “design” as a progressive expression of schematic intentions, and argued for a conception of design as a stepwise, non‐linear evolution in response to a series of contextual urban factors. In the 20 years since, significant progress has been made to develop the insights of generativity in urban design, as in other fields. Some of Alexander’s ideas have been incorporated – notably by practitioners of The New Urbanism – and some have been challenged and dismissed, including, notably, by Alexander himself. The author assesses progress since this milepost volume – substantial, he argues – as well as setbacks and shortcomings, and significant opportunities still remaining.     

The Worker’s House

Abstract

The proto-sociologist Wilhelm Heinrich Riehl is best known in architectural history for the popularity that his organicist-functionalist dictum of “building from the inside out” received in early twentieth-century German architectural culture. However, less is known about Riehl’s own writing on architecture in the context of his sociological theories. This paper discusses the importance of Riehl’s thoughts on domestic architecture in giving theoretical elaboration to what, in the mid-nineteenth century, was a growing intellectual concern over the social position of workers. As the “worker” emerged as a distinct social type, and workers’ welfare registered as an increasingly pressing issue, Riehl’s call for a sociologically oriented understanding of architecture (capable of reforming the worker “from within”) significantly altered the terms of the debate over housing policy in Germany. In examining his theoretical elaboration of the task of social policy and the role of architecture within it, this paper reads Riehl’s work as a prelude to a new kind of logic about architecture’s social agency that would come to underpin modern housing reform.     

Affordable housing finance companies in India: how do they ‘differently’ serve the underserved?

Abstract

Over the years, the importance of access to affordable finance has inevitably been recognized as a critical component of developing the third world. Against the backdrop of huge under-penetration of the housing finance sector in India, this study reflects on the functioning of Affordable Housing Finance Companies (AHFCs), which are among the important stakeholders providing affordable housing loans to the low-income segment households. However, the process through which these new entrants have been able to down-market housing finance remains a black box till date. In light of this research gap, this study proposes a conceptual model that succinctly captures the business process of AHFCs across three main dimensions: Outreach Approach, Lending and Underwriting Practices and Risk Management Interventions. This model reflects on the kaleidoscope of process innovations that the AHFCs have embraced to cater to the housing finance needs of the low-income customers, while achieving profitability and social impact.