Peri‐urban informal housing development in Victorian England: the contribution of freehold land societies

Self‐help housing in peri‐urban areas (usually outside municipal boundaries) is a feature, not only of rapidly urbanizing countries now in the South, but was also in Victorian England, where it was often initiated by freehold land societies, created by the Chartist movement in order to expand the franchise. These bodies bought and subdivided land for sale to their members, and laid out roads, using legal powers conferred upon the building societies. The societies made a significant contribution to housing for the urban working class, and preceded the garden city and town planning movement promoted by Liberal politicians. A case study is presented of one successful provincial society, the Ipswich and Suffolk Freehold Land Society.     

Grindsamhälle: the rise of urban gating and gated housing in Sweden

Sweden does not have gated communities, but this paper argues that processes of gating and the associated consequences are apparent in Sweden, particularly in metropolitan regions. Based on interviews, observations and analysis of previous research, the article identifies the rise of urban gating and gated housing. Urban gating restricts access to previously public land through material gating and results in a loss of the right to use-value of urban land. The rise of a new and exclusive form of gated housing associated with the lifestyles of the mobile middle class, referred to here, as the residential hotel, is spotlighted, prompting questions about the concentration of affluence in already privileged areas and the reinforcing effect of gating on existing patterns of socio-spatial polarization.     

Contention for urban state space and the rise of society in China: A case study of “housing planting” in Hohhot

Existing literature has overemphasized the power of state in the theorization of China's urbanization and transition, and after the reform and opening-up, substantial attention has been given to the interaction between state and market. Comparatively, the role of society has been vastly underestimated. The paper selects housing planting in Hohhot to explain how local villagers contended actively with local states for and over space to increase compensation for land requisition. The contention has caused severe social conflicts, high compensation cost, and forced demolition, thereby threatening local states' land finance and development. Essentially, space has become a useful tool for citizens to preserve their interests. This implies that with the rise of society, China's urbanization is transitioning from a high-speed and low-cost stage to a high-quality and high-cost stage. Due to the changing relation between state, capital, and society, many pertinent institutions need to be adjusted as well. The paper calls for additional attention to the state-society-relation perspective when theorizing China's urban development.     

‘They took the land,now we’re fighting for a house’: Aboriginal perspectives about urban housing disadvantage

Aboriginal Australians experience substantial housing disadvantage on a range of measures, yet relatively little is known about how urban Aboriginal people perceive their housing circumstances. While most Aboriginal people live in urban or suburban areas, research and policy attention has tended to focus on remote housing issues. This paper draws on focus groups conducted with Aboriginal people at an Aboriginal Medical Service in Western Sydney (n = 38) about their housing experiences and beliefs about why many Aboriginal people experience the housing disadvantage they described. Participants described a landscape in which their housing experiences were materially affected by their Aboriginality and inextricably linked to racial discrimination, poverty, marginalization, the lack of social and affordable housing and disempowerment, all with negative implications for their psychosocial well-being. Participant views aligned with critical race theory, with race described as a fundamental structural force that created and deepened housing disadvantage beyond economic hardship alone.     

How does the community resilience of urban village response to the government-led redevelopment? A case study of Tangjialing village in Beijing

Building on the critical resilience literature, this study aims at analyzing how the community resilience (CR) of urban village (UV), which is challenged by multiple natural and socio-economic disturbances such as climate change, land occupation, and industrialization, responses to the government-led redevelopment (GLR) and its hidden mechanism. A conceptual framework incorporating social, economic, institutional/governmental, material domains and community capital was established with reference to the work of Cutter, Burton, and Emrich (2010), and was applied as the conceptual springboard to assess the resilience of Tangjialing village. The results suggested that the GLR in Tangjialing village was generally a successful practice for enhancing CR, which was tightly associated with the economic empowerment for local residents and formalization of informal economic activities and negatively affected by insufficient public engagement. Accordingly, policy implications about enhancing the resilience such as protecting the farmers' “private rights” as landowners, providing employment guidance and assistance and implementing cooperative planning were proposed.     

An ecological study of families in transitional housing – ‘housed but not homed’

This article discusses the sense of homelessness among nine homeless families who are in transitional housing in Singapore, where homelessness is minimal and mostly out of the public eye. This study is significant as it investigates homelessness experienced by married couples with children in Singapore, unlike most other research which has examined homelessness among singles or single-parent families, and which is based in Australia, Europe, and the US. The sense of homelessness was shaped by the ecological environment that comprised systemic elements such as kin support, housing policies, and non-housing policies like citizenship, education, welfare, and so forth. Homelessness was seen as (i) a loss of complete autonomy, control, privacy, and comfort; (ii) the lack of physical, practical, and emotional support from kin; (iii) a compromised ‘sense of family’ and family decisions; and (iv) hope and endurance while interacting with the ecological system.     

From informal housing to apartment housing: exploring the ‘new social’ in a gecekondu rehousing project,Turkey

This article engages with the question of the ‘new social’ that emerges in the relocation of the poor in slum renewal projects. Drawing upon both Lefebvre’s theorization of abstract space of capital and social space of people, and the neoliberal framework in which the economic dominates the social, the complex relationship between the spatial and the social embedded in political economy is demonstrated. In the Turkish context, the ‘new social’ is situated at the intersection of spatial transformations, housing representations, neoliberalism and Islam. In the housing estate of the case study, the abstract space was challenged by the bottom-up responses of some residents who tried to create their social space rooted in their previous experiences in the gecekondu; it was reacted by other residents who embraced the higher status of apartment living. The void produced by destroying the gecekondu habitus was filled by religious activities and consumption-inspired everyday practices.     

Around Madrid: the continuing influence of historical urban development plans on today’s periphery

This paper describes the peripheral development that has occurred in Madrid over the last 16 years (2000–2016), a period split by the economic crash that occurred in 2008. The paper argues that the relationship between economic development and infrastructure corridors witnessed in this peripheral development is intrinsically connected to the nineteenth and twentieth-century plans for urban growth. While these corridors have some similarities to the Strip model for an automobile city discussed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott-Brown in their seminal book Learning from Las Vegas, the Madrid peripheries enjoy a long genealogy that complicates any easy link to the Strip, particularly around issues of economic speculation, typology and image-making or imagining, which will be introduced using the work of Michael Neuman and others. The research design adopted examines the treatment of the periphery in a number of historical plans, particularly their attitudes towards infrastructure and economic development, in order to establish connections between those historical plans and the city’s planned and (partially) realized peripheral development today.     

Revealing the relationship of human convergence–divergence patterns and land use: A case study on Shenzhen City,China

Understanding the relationship between human mobility and land use has been a longstanding topic in multiple disciplines, including transport geography and urban planning. Recently, urban collective mobility patterns have become a hot research direction and has been explored at an unprecedented space–time scale due to the emerging big human tracking datasets (e.g., mobile phone data). However, only a few studies have comprehensively quantified the effects of land use on human mobility patterns while considering the influence of the scale of spatial analysis units. This study attempts to reinforce this knowledge by investigating urban human convergence–divergence patterns and their relationship with land use distribution characteristics at three popular types of spatial analysis units of human mobility studies (voronoi polygons, grid cells, and traffic analysis zones) using mobile phone data. A case study on Shenzhen, China is implemented, and results indicate that eight distinct convergence–divergence patterns could be extracted to describe urban collective mobility patterns despite the use of different types of spatial analysis unit. Moreover, the scale of spatial analysis units exerts a few effects on the quantification of the influence of land use distribution on human convergence–divergence patterns, but some common characteristics could be summarized from these discrepant results. The findings can help policy makers understand urban human mobility and can serve as a guide for urban management and planning.     

Assessing the impact of international development policies on the process of civil society participation in urban development in the countries of the South: the case of Syria, 2005–2010

This paper seeks to explore the effect of the international development policies promoted by the United Nations Development Programme on civil society participation in urban development process in the countries of the South. More specifically, the case of Syria during the period 2005–2010 was examined. An institutional analysis was conducted in order to investigate the question of whether development institutions in particular contexts, in terms of both the mental models and the organizational forms of development, permitted the space needed to apply this principle in practice. In this, the paper argues the need to promote a proactive approach to enable civil society participation in the countries of the South rather than a normative internationally accepted approach developed in isolation from the given political and institutional context.     

Contemporary tendencies in Colombian urban planning: the case of the ‘Planes Parciales’ in Medellín

After decades of internal conflict, Colombia is experiencing economic growth and urbanization. It remains, however, one of the most socially unequal countries in Latin America. Medellín, acclaimed the most innovative city, implemented large-scale transport infrastructures to link socially excluded areas to the city; new educational and cultural facilities; new public spaces and housing projects, rooted in the Barcelona model. This so-called ‘social urbanism’ has shifted local perceptions, though its socio-economic impact has been questioned. This paper focuses on the less analysed transformations in planning policy and management through two instruments: the Land Use Plan (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial – POT) and the ‘Plan Parcial’. The research, based on a desktop review, interviews and site visits, examines the application of these instruments in Medellín, reflecting on how they contribute to achieving the aims of ‘social urbanism’. The paper explores the differences between ‘rhetoric’ and practice that are reflected in those between the city’s overarching plan (POT) and the implementation of ‘planes parciales’, focusing on redevelopment, urban renewal and urban expansion. Such differences mirror the deficiencies in the adaptation of the ‘urban project’ Barcelona model in Medellín, and provide the basis for a call to develop ‘social urbanism’ that is genuinely more socially, territorially comprehensive and inclusive.     

Evaluation of communities’ perception on public policies,urban rivers functions,and qualities: the Belém River case in Curitiba

Urban rivers have been considered, for different cities, as sources of problems and solutions. The objective of this article is to evaluate local communities’ perception of sociopolitical actions and the natural attributes of the Belém River, located in the city of Curitiba. This study is justified by the theoretical contributions of evaluating urban rivers based on perceptions of the community. The results indicate that the river has been progressively deteriorating to the point where, paradoxically in relation to the constructed view of the sustainable and ecological city, the community considers it useless for domestic purposes, representing a source of discomfort and health hazards. However, the same community still values the river as a public good and demands solutions with society and government shared efforts. Data collection was conducted in 2012 through a stratified random sampling. The margin of error for 586 respondents was 5% at the 95% confidence level.     

Does polycentric and compact development alleviate urban traffic congestion? A case study of 98 Chinese cities

Despite a growing interest among policymakers and urban planners in promoting polycentric and compact development to mitigate traffic congestion, empirical studies have often documented mixed and indirect evidence on the impacts of polycentricity and compactness on congestion. Drawing upon a direct and big-data-based measure of congestion and gridded (1 km × 1 km) population data of 98 Chinese cities, this study investigates how polycentricity and compactness may affect congestion in these cities. The degrees of polycentricity and compactness are measured through fine-grained identification of population centers. All else being equal, the empirical results show that congestion is positively associated with the degree of compactness but negatively associated with that of polycentricity. However, increasing the degree of polycentricity by developing more than four population centers may also lead to more congestion. Furthermore, the negative impact of polycentricity on congestion becomes weaker with the increase in a city's population and even turns positive for large cities with more than six million inhabitants within urban districts. The paper concludes with spatial planning implications.     

Predicting floods from urban development scenarios: case study of the Dilúvio Basin,Porto Alegre,Brazil

It is well known that urbanization increases the hydrograph peak and overland flow volume from drainage basins, and that the concentration time of flood flows is diminished. To predict the effects of future urban development on the flood regime, the design hydrograph must be estimated. Nevertheless, the information from which to estimate a design hydrograph is limited where planning procedures (such as the `Urban Master Plan' of some Brazilian cities) specify only the type of urban land use (residential, industrial, etc.) and the recommended population density in areas where development is planned. This paper presents the relationship between parameters of a hydrologic model and urban development characteristics as set out in the Urban Master Plan. A hydrologic model IPH IV [C. E. M. Tucci, B. Braga, A. L. L. Silveira, RBE Caderno de Recursos Hı́dricos 7 (1) (1989)] was used together with a GIS to predict the hydrograph corresponding to alternative urbanization scenarios. Model parameters were fitted and verified using recorded data from the Dilúvio Creek in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The model was applied to predict the design hydrograph for different risks in accordance with the city's Urban Master Plan. Flooded areas corresponding to a storm rainfall with return period 25 years were calculated by simulation, the flooding being mainly due to flow obstruction by bridges.     

Restorative wildscapes at work: an investigation of the wellbeing benefits of greenspace at urban fringe business sites using ‘go-along’ interviews

Abstract

The potential well-being benefits associated with the use of privately owned greenspaces in working environments have received little research attention. Given the growing evidence on the restorative benefits of urban greenspace, and the fact that many people spend most of their daily hours at the workplace, the question of whether physical access to green environments from workplaces can promote well-being is a pertinent one. Person–environment relationships in peri-urban business sites were investigated in a series of semi-structured ‘go-along’ interviews with employees at Scottish science parks. Workers described a range of well-being benefits from outdoor breaks and associated these with qualities of the environment. Semi-natural and informally landscaped areas were most strongly associated with restoration during the working day. The implications of the findings for the planning and design of business sites at the urban fringe are explored.     

Is New Urbanism changing the suburban development pattern? A case study of the Toronto region

This paper includes a detailed comparison of the design features and urban form characteristics of 10 urban fringe neighbourhoods in the Toronto (Canada) region, and examines the extent to which a new suburban development pattern has been created under the influence of the New Urbanism movement. Results suggest that although considerable variations exist in implementations of New Urbanist design, a new suburban development pattern has been created. This pattern is characterized by increased net density, improved internal street-connectivity, and walkable distances to parks, schools and transit stops. Through a close examination of the varied design outcomes, this paper highlights the trade-offs inherent in implementing New Urbanist design.     

Is financial development narrowing the urban–rural income gap? A cross-regional study of China

This paper investigates the causal relationship between financial development and the urban–rural income gap in China. Using a bootstrap Granger panel causality analysis, the result indicates that financial development influences urban–rural income gap mainly in Eastern China. The high level of financial development in this region enables rural areas to increase its income. Our results also confirm the existence of the financial Kuznets curve in Eastern China where urban–rural income gap would be first increased and afterwards decreased by financial development. The financial development itself is not dependent on urban–rural income gap as it largely depends on government policies and economic growth.     

Transnational urban spaces and urban environmental reforms: analyzing Beijing’s environmental restructuring in the light of globalization

In this era of globalization, ‘transnational spaces’ are being created within urban settings, providing a direct connection between the ‘local’ and the ‘global’. Corporate headquarters, hotels, shopping malls, and airports are typical examples of such spaces, which while located within an urban territory, are often conceived by foreign designers, developers, and manufacturers, as well as maintained by multinational companies and banks. Such local–global interconnection is giving urban management a new shape, as urban management practices are now frequently intertwining with global construction and property management approaches. This paper argues that, at the same time, a set of new mechanisms that may help to tackle problems related to the urban environment and infrastructure is unfolding. Starting with a conceptual discussion of the role of globalization in urban environmental restructuring, this paper subsequently explores the context of Beijing and the environmental management possibilities introduced in this city by global actors (through the examples of World Tower, IBM Tower, and ABN AMRO and ING head offices). Beijing, due to China’s recent economic opening process, provides an intriguing backcloth to demonstrate how transnational urban spaces—standing in-between the local and the global—may canalize environmental innovations from the ‘global’, putting globalization at work for a better urban environment.     

Contribution and challenges of the private sector’s participation in housing in Nigeria: case study of Akure,Ondo state

Housing inadequacy in Nigeria’s rapidly growing urban centres is manifested in qualitative and quantitative terms. Government’s efforts at mass delivery of houses have failed to achieve the desired result, hence the collaboration between the public and private sector to bridge the wide housing gap. A study into the public–private partnered initiatives at mass delivery of housing in Akure, Nigeria was undertaken. Seven housing schemes of this sort were identified and studied, taking their contributions to bridging the housing gap in the city into account. The achievement is meagre though progressive strides are discernable. The macroeconomic environment, continued dominance of the public sector, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and socio-cultural issues presented serious challenges to active private-sector participation. Affordability is elusive; execution of the projects had some problems while political manoeuvrings impacted on the projects negatively. It is affirmed that participation of the private sector has potential for improving housing delivery; however, the present operation needs to be fine-tuned for future success.     

‘Filling the mattress’: Trust development in the governance of infrastructure megaprojects

The development of trust is a major challenge for the governance of public private infrastructure megaprojects. Contractual pre-arrangements should provide a blueprint for collaborative behavior and trust development but the characters of megaprojects challenge such arrangements. This longitudinal study explores practices of trust development in the collaboration of commissioner and contractor consortia in the Dutch road infrastructure megaproject ‘Schiphol, Amsterdam and Almere’ (SAA). The findings show that six different types of workshops have been used to intervene in the collaboration of project partners in order to develop trust. The study contributes to the debate on governance in megaprojects showing how governance arrangement are enacted in the daily practice in megaprojects. To buffer the potential loss of trust through conflicts, project partners negotiated for a balanced reciprocal relationship, which is the simultaneous exchange of equivalent resources without delay.