Evaluating housing and neighbourhood initiatives to improve the quality of life in deprived urban areas

Changes in the urban social geography; the development of urban neighbourhoods of multiple deprivation, in which different processes of social exclusion reinforce one another, is a grave challenge to the European society. Housing initiatives and local neighbourhood practices seem to be key factors in finding solutions in combating social exclusion and improving the quality of life in deprived urban neighbourhoods. The OECD-report `Integrating distressed urban areas' (Paris, 1998) states that a combination of policies focusing on specific urban areas and more general socio-economic measures are necessary to integrate such areas into the fabric of the cities. This evaluation of bottom-up neighbourhood solutions, within their national contexts, is the central focus of a European research project (NEHOM) involving housing researchers and providers in 8 European countries. Pilot case studies have been undertaken in United Kingdom, Norway and Hungary to test a common case study methodology. Using a range of indicators of improvements in the quality of life in case study areas, the research will seek to identify innovative housing initiatives and neighbourhood practices, as well as a toolkit for neighbourhood assessment and improvement. A special challenge for the research project is to assess and identify opportunities for and barriers to transferability of best practices and housing policies between European countries.     

Characteristics of post-socialist urban transformation in East Central Europe

The development of the post-socialist city has already been characterised by substantial restructuring processes. Particular emphasis should be drawn to the take-off of the tertiary sector and the comprehensive blight phenomena in the previously industrial areas. The urban housing sector has witnessed increasing housing affordability problems, a marginalisation of communal housing stock, an increase of segregation and an intensification of the decay in the old housing stock. In all East Central European states the spatial development processes of industry and services within the cities basically show clear parallels to the pattern of urban development in continental Europe. In Hungary housing policy, tenure structure and the level of segregation already show relatively closer similarities to the neoliberal, Anglo–American pattern of development. The other ECE states show closer similarities to the corporatist welfare states of continental Europe. As far as medium-term urban development in East Central Europe is concerned, it is to be assumed that – regardless of the specific path of further development – overall solutions shall not be found for the fundamental problems which are the legacy of the socialist era – the decay of old housing stock, large scale derelict industrial areas and the extent and deficiencies of high-rise housing estates. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Asymmetry in an uneven place: migrants’ lifestyles,social capital,and self-rated health status in James Town,Accra

This exploratory study examines how migrants’ lifestyles are associated with subjective assessment of their health status in a relatively poor urban neighborhood in Accra. For more than half a century, urban centers have been on the receiving end of internal migrants in Ghana with Accra, Kumasi, and Sekondi-Takoradi receiving the lion’s share. However, a lot of migrants end up in poor neighborhoods due to inability to afford relatively costly rents in the better residential areas in the cities. Migrants who live on the margins of society are adversely impacted by poor environmental conditions that make them susceptible to environmentally-induced diseases such as malaria, cholera, and typhoid. While the poverty, health, and place research in Accra, Ghana, have focused on spatial distribution of inequalities in health, burden of sexual ill health, double burden of diseases, environment, wealth and health relationship, as well as income and health connections, there is paucity of research on association between the daily lifestyles of migrants in poor urban neighborhoods and their health status. Specifically on lifestyle and contextual factors, we examine (1) eating and drinking behavior, (2) perception of environmental factors, (3) attitudes and practices during illnesses, and (4) physical activities. Results from Ordinal Logit Regression models suggest that the key predictors of self-rated health status are: (1) socio-demographic elements like length of stay, job type, and religiosity; and (2) eating and drinking behavior—frequency of buying food from food vendors, and (3) social capital.     

Growth and urban differentiation on the urban periphery: A case study from Szeged, Hungary

In late nineteenth century Hungarian cities there were strong contrasts between the inner ‘urban’ core and the rural periphery in terms of housing conditions, accessibility and lifestyle. Rural-urban fringe zones in the Great Plain were quite distinctive because the Turkish period was followed by an outflow of population which resulted in scattered settlement around the urban centres. The fringe could be regarded simply as a zone of transition, but the differences between urban centres and their immediate surroundings were gradually reduced through the industrialisation of the larger towns in the communist period. A study of Szeged examines the expansion of the fringe zone and its gradual urbanisation through the growth of housing as people have moved out from the centre to live among the rural population which increasingly turned from agriculture to commuting. Villages on either side of Szeged's administrative boundary accommodated more migrants from the city during the 1980s and experienced a gradual positive change in the quality of life as people escaped from the decaying residential blocs in the centre. During the years since 1989 there has been further migration, coupled with a growth of small businesses and a big improvement in services (shopping, running water, sewage and telecommunications). Further change may be expected in line with the forces of counterurbanisation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Budapest and the European metropolitan integration

Budapest is going to take over Vienna's gateway functions esp. in case Berlin succeeds to be a global city of Central Europe and will develop a parallel urban system like the present one of London and Paris for Western Europe. Budapest will be able to fulfill the role of a subregional continental centre. To prove these expectations, the paper discusses the competitiveness of the Hungarian capital, compared to Prague and Warsaw. The advantageous position of Budapest lies partly in its geographic situation, partly in the reforms giving way to private enterprise in the last decades of socialism. Most of the Central European post-communist capital cities, with the exception of Ljubljana and Bratislava, are large and developed enough to enter a European urban competition. Belgrade and Zagreb will be delayed due to the civil war in their region; Bucharest and Sofia have infrastructural, economic and social problems, while Budapest, Prague and Warsaw may have an opportunity to join the developed European urban network. Their chances are examined in this study, with special regard to the Hungarian capital.     

Government housing policy in Indonesia 1900–1940

Colonial society in Indonesia during the first forty years of the 20th century faced housing problems for both the European and native populations analogous to those in many Third World countries today. Some colonial cities tried to provide more housing first by annexing more land and so making building sites available and second by supporting the few private building societies which arose. In the mid-1920s housing proponents organized two national housing congresses. One result was the creation of limited liability public housing companies financed jointly by the central and city governments. By 1940 these companies had failed to provide more housing and so improve housing conditions particularly for the urban native population. The poverty of the masses, the shortage of funds, increasing populations, and government priorities which existed in colonial Indonesia are different in scale in Third World countries today and one may wonder if present-day solutions to housing problems will be any more effective.     

Recent slum clearance exercise in Lagos (Nigeria): victims or beneficiaries?

Conclusion The sporadic application of ‘slum clearance’ programmes served only to exacerbate the already intransigent problem of urban housing shortage, as the example of Lagos has demonstrated. The continued application of Western assumptions in urban development (whereas they have since been modified in those countries) has inhibited a reassessment of issues in the Nigerian context. Some of the issues at stake have been considered in this paper. Conventional Western concepts have not only proved inappropriate to the realities of rapid urban growth and limited resources in Nigeria and most of tropical Africa, but have intensified the problems still further. In the context of Maroko slum clearance exercise as contained in this paper, they must be seen as an unsuccessful attempt to control rather than resolve the housing problems of the urban poor. I terms of planning five procedural steps are necessary to be followed to accomplish a desirable urban renewal exercise for the community. They are (1) to acquire land in accordance with the plan, consisting of purchase of land and the structures on it. (2) Relocation of residents from the acquired buildings into satisfactory quarters. The relocation exercise must be made not only mandatory on the government (local or state) undertaking renewal but made a legal requirement. (3) Site clearance — the razing of the structures on the land may be carried out only after the quality of such structures have been determined. This exercise also assumes that a process of data collection and analysis have been accomplished (social and physical). (4) Site improvements and supporting facilities and services are undertaken by the agency. Site improvements include streets, sewers, lightiing etc. Others may include parks, play ground, schools etc. (5) Land may be built upon by agency or sold to original owners if compensations have been paid. They may also be given back to owners with loans to rebuild either through self-help or cooperative venture. Amortization and interest on such loans should be made generous for the poor. Since demolition of housing must precede new construction in the project area, the existing stock of housing is decreased, forcing the displacees to seek shelter in the remaining housing in the city or erect squatter housing. This is especially likely at the low-quality end of the housing market, since the greatest reduction in the housing stock occurs there. The condition may remain depending on government’s degree of responsiveness. Perhaps the only way to avoid the problem of a reduced housing stock in any urban renewal project, thus curbing the incidence of the spiral process of slums among the poor, as the Maroko example has demonstrated in Lagos, is by building new dwelling units for relocatees before demolishing their present homes. Such policy would merge with general attempts to relocate the poor in suburbs, seeking a reduction in the concentrations of poverty in central cities of Nigeria.     

Locational Decisions and Residential Preferences of Taiwanese Immigrants in Australia

Since the 1980s, the increase of Asian migrants in large cities has contributed significantly to the cultural landscape of Australia, especially in the city suburbs. Based on the Census and in-depth interviews of 103 Taiwanese migrants, this research examines the location decisions and residential preferences of Taiwanese migrants in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. The reasons for choosing the state, the particular city, and specific area of residence are probed into. The survey shows that migrants moved to Australia mainly for children’s education, lifestyle and political instability reasons. The main reasons for choosing to settle in Sydney were favourable business opportunities, and the northern part of Sydney was preferred. Those who chose Brisbane are attracted by the good climate there, and the residents preferred the Sunnybank area. Melbourne was chosen for the good education it offers, and areas on transportation lines near good schools are selected. Choice of residence was based mainly on their needs and their resources which may change over time. In general, they always choose to locate in close proximity to their family, friends and Taiwanese communities. Their locational choice depends on income and housing budget, proximity to good schools and shopping centers, and information from friends or earlier migrants. Based on such factors, this study clearly demonstrates that the Taiwanese immigrants are fundamentally different from early Chinese settlers who once aimed to settle at Chinatown locations.     

Home is where I lay down my hat? The complexities and functions of home for internal migrants in contemporary China

This paper examines how the changing and complex notions of home in the context of China’s internal migration can influence migrants’ belonging and identity formations in the urban context. Tracing the evolution of migrants’ conceptualization of home through three interrelated perspectives – the ancestral home (laojia), the city home, and the material home – it is becoming possible to challenge the dominant perceptions of migrants’ home as an emblematic representation of their precarious urban position and its traditional association with formal and fixed alignment between place and identity. Employing a translocal approach to study the complexities and functions of migrants’ home, this paper expose migrants’ alternative home-making practices, highlighting their strong connection to flexibility and mobility, and the making of migrants’ home a meaningful space for subjective transformations, within the limiting environment of powerful socio-spatial urban regimes. Reexamining the reliance on the traditional established connection between place, home, and identity, these new conceptualizations are important not only to better understand the development of migrants’ urban identity and belonging, but can also as be used as a practical element in devising future urban development policies that will better address migrants’ needs and integration into urban space and society.     

The early twentieth-century “Black Metropolis”: urban geographic principles

Did Black Metropolises, that is, large black communities in major cities, hold unique opportunities that helped blacks to advance occupationally in the early twentieth century? The present study addresses this question, using Census data to test hypotheses, based on urban geographic principles, about the distribution of Black Metropolises’ locational advantages. The results show that blacks’ representation in key middle-to-upper-status occupations declines precipitously across Black Metropolises, often following an exponentially descending Pareto curve, suggesting that blacks’ opportunities to enter such occupations are concentrated into a small number of large urban black communities. The results further indicate that the locational-advantage benefits of the largest, most segregated, and most centrally positioned Black Metropolises are limited to a few high-status professions and a narrow range of occupations involving cultural expression, entertainment, and public service. These findings challenge claims that blacks’ socioeconomic standing was substantially uplifted in the early twentieth century by unique opportunities in large black communities of major cities.     

On the expulsion of rural inmigrants from Greater Khartoum — the example of the Dinka in Suq el Markazi

The magnitude of housing demand and the inadequacy of public housing in most cities of the Third World have led to the emergence of types of housing which, while having different names, are classified as squatter settlements. In Khartoum, the expansion of squatter settlements has mainly been due to political processes that resulted in dramatic urban needs generated by uneven development, widespread migration, demographic growth and income inequalities. In the recent years, however, rural recession, civil war, drought, floods and famine combined to turn the Sudanese capital city into a reception centre for a considerable number of displaced people from areas affected. Here the bulk of the displaced persons found accommodation in huts that they built themselves. The government responded to such a situation by embarking on a large scale deportation programme. Attempts to bargain, resist, or to cope with the political system, on the part of the displaced people, proved to be in vain. Available estimates suggest that at least two thirds of the two or more million migrants who moved to Khartoum during the last sixteen years, have now been forcibly driven back to rural areas.     

From picket fences to iron gates: suburbanization and gated communities in Phoenix,Las Vegas and Seattle

Suburbanization has been a prominent urban process in the United States since the World War II. It has transformed American cities in profound ways in every single aspect of urban development; from population and wealth distributions, through political organization and affiliations, to the built environment. This paper investigates the link between gated communities and the process of suburbanization in the context of socio-economic inequality. It has been shown time and again in the scholarly literature on suburbanization, that suburban neighborhoods in American cities have been traditionally more affluent and less diverse than central cities. The research on gated communities in the US also shows that they are, on average, more affluent compared to other communities in terms of family income and housing values. Are gated communities then simply a new form of suburban communities? Is the gated community in fact a suburban community with the added element of security features? The paper investigates these questions based on segregation and spatial analyses. The research contributes to the long line of studies on suburbanization, gating and the larger issues of urban inequality.     

An objective analysis of the relationship between quality of life and socio-economic characteristics in Kumasi,Ghana

Increasing urbanisation and the growth of urban areas in cities in developing countries present major challenges for local governments, policy makers and urban planners even though the phenomenon offers opportunities. Studies focusing on the quality of life (QoL) help in assessing objectively, urban conditions which inform urban policy and planning. Using Kumasi as a case study, this paper investigates the relationship between quality of life and socio-economic characteristics such as gender, age, marital status, educational background, household income and housing type. To this end, the paper uses data from 500 households to examine the relationship between urban dwellers socio-economic characteristics and quality of life index in Kumasi. Findings indicated that objective QoL varied considerably with some of the socio-economic variables (household income and housing type) in the study area and these variables contributed significantly to the objective quality of life in Kumasi. The paper concludes that there are six (6) dimension of quality of life in Kumasi.     

Rural development and rural to urban migration in China 1978–1990

Economic reforms since the late 1970s have brought about significant changes in rural China. A large number of surplus rural labourers have been released from the agricultural sector and there has been a massive transition of rural residents from agricultural to non-agricultural employment. These changes will be analyzed by examining the changes in the employment structure of rural residents. Rural to urban migration is another important option for many rural labourers. The size of China's urban population and the scale of rural to urban migration continue to be an ‘enigma’ due to several changes in the definition of the urban population. Several data sources will be used to provide more realistic estimates of rural to urban migrations on a set of comparable though different bases. Data on the new entries into urban employment and the urban ‘non-agricultural population’ will be used to illustrate the scale of migration by rural residents to the formal urban sector. This may only record those migrants who have changed their registration status from ‘agricultural population’ to ‘non-agricultural population’ which is tightly controlled by the government. The 1990 Census data provide some evidence on the rural to urban migration by the registered ‘agricultural population’. The 1987 1% population sampling data will be used to analyze the actual migrations among cities, towns and counties over the period 1982–1987. It is found that town and county populations tended to move to towns at the intra-provincial level, but to cities at the inter-provincial level. Out-migrants from cities tended to move to cities at both the intra- and inter-provincial levels.     

‘Some people expect women should always be dependent’: Indian women’s experiences as highly skilled migrants

The intersections of migration and gender have been well established in the literature. This article seeks to look beyond the notion of women as tied movers and to highlight women’s central position in the high-skilled migration process and complement it with the perspectives of male migrants. Our findings are based on 47 qualitative life course interviews with high-skilled Indian migrants in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and illustrated in detail through the life stories of four female participants. We found that for highly skilled Indian women, migration can represent an opportunity to diverge from normative paths and escape from patriarchal norms, but that they still seek a compromise between these cultural constraints and their personal aspirations. Whereas in the Western context traditions and modernity are generally seen as being in opposition to each other, we show that in the Indian context women may continue to adhere to the normative age at marriage, while also pursuing a professional career and combining family and employment. We conclude that migration can thus both facilitate and limit the professional development of women, particularly those from traditional cultural backgrounds who are redefining the role of women in their society.     

The post-industrialising city: political perspectives and cultural biases

Many Western cities face marked changes that are associated with post-industrialisation of the urban environment. In this article, four political perspectives on the threats and opportunities associated with post-industrialisation are discussed: liberal productivism; communitarianism; institutional perfectionism and participative democracy. In cultural terms these four approaches appear to be remarkably biased. As such, they are unlikely to match the complicated, confusing and unpredictable processes that are taking place in Western cities. The complexities of post-industrialisation demand cultural variety in the public domain. This, in turn, requires connectivity and openness in the institutions that structure urban politics and urban policy making. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Sources of pollution and distribution of Pb,Cd and Hg in Wrocław soils: Insight from chemical and Pb isotope composition

Human activities in cities affect properties of urban soils. In particular, urban soils often contain high contents of harmful metals even in deeper horizons added to them from diverse sources over centuries of the city development. This is reflected in complex distribution of metals in bulk soils with depth and the complex metal fractionation, but the exact sources of the metals are difficult to identify. This is also the situation in soils from Wroclaw, one of the largest cities in Poland. Potentially harmful elements Pb, Cd and Hg were examined in six profiles located along the major communication route and compared to two non-urban soils profiles located close to the same route. In all of the urban profiles, Pb and Cd exceeded the element contents observed in non-urban profiles and showed an erratic distribution compared to the more predictable one in non-urban soils. The differences between urban and non-urban profiles were explained as the result of contamination coming from more pollution sources in the case of urban soils, the conclusion supported by Pb isotope analyses. In fact, Pb isotopes showed that the contamination sources in urban soils included leaded petrol, coal combustion, smelting and possibly old pre-industrial ore processing, whereas leaded petrol and pre-industrial lead were the only possible anthropogenic sources in non-urban soils. The comparison of Wrocöaw soils with those from cities of comparable size Kraków and Poznań show similar ranges of metal contents with implication that urban pollution oversteps diverse geogenic chemical background. On the other hand, the comparison with other European cities show large variability in metal contents and suggest that urban soils contamination is time integrated and reflects long-term industrial evolution of each country.     

The cityscapes of European capital cities

Capital cities are politico-administrative centers. They are command centers, they symbolize authority and also the unit that is governed. Primarily they are capitals of states, but other governance systems may also have capitals. In the European context there are now regional capital cities and at least the concept of a European capital. Particularly on account of their symbolic function but also for the uses made of its appearance in political life, the cityscape of capital cities is an interesting topic for research. There are different types of capital cities in Europe that give rise to different cityscapes. Existing urban networks and types of political regime are important in this respect. Although cityscapes are pretty stable, they are differently perceived over time and uses made of them also change. A research agenda for this intersection of historical, cultural and political geography should concentrate on the evolution of these cityscapes, their perception and the uses made of them in the acting out of politics.     

The use of housing as a spatio-political measure: the Israeli case

This paper focuses on the use of the provision of public housing in Israel as a political measure, in addition to its benign role of providing shelter. In the early stages of Jewish settlement in the country the Right controlled most towns and cities, while Labour was engaged in building a rural base. As urban growth attracted many of the newly arrived workers, Labour found it necessary to become politically active in the urban sphere. This has been done through the provision of a variety of services, among which was the provision of housing with a view to recruiting their political support. Two strategies were adopted. One was the penetration of existing towns by building public housing estates, the other was the establishment of new urban centres. These strategies have enabled Labour to attain local political hegemony in many cities, but while the provision of public housing proved to be as effective political tool in the short run, it has failed to secure a lasting impact.     

Choosing a site for the capital of Europe

The European Union has achieved internal cohesion and international economic recognition, but economics alone has not yet led to a united Europe. Although this cohesiveness strongly influence regions and cities, and cities have started to refer to their European background, the member nations continue to hold regional and urban planning power. Forced to take unanimous decisions, the European Council of Ministers maintained the doctrine of a unique capital for 40 years, provoking numerous urban and architectural visions while simultaneously accepting the existence of three provisional headquarters, Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg. The host nations, Belgium, France and Luxembourg meanwhile oriented these cities to both European economic considerations and local needs.This article analyzes the logic that led to decentralization of the capital city functions, the reasons why cities were interested in hosting the European Communities, what individual cities and nations suggested and why the most obvious solutions were not adopted. The Maastricht Treaty, the ongoing strengthening of European and regional institutions, and the choice of the provisional headquarters as definite capitals in 1992 gives cause for hope that concepts based on European and regional necessities beyond the nation-state will now be elaborated. A European network of cities and regions including the three political capitals of Europe, as revealed by their infrastructures and buildings, seems to be the best expression of the meaning of European unity.