Sustainable housing, sustainable communities or both Assessing the impact of housing renewal on community sustainabilit

1. Sustainable housing, sustainable communities or both? Assessing the impact of housing renewal on community sustainability � A theoretical modelPresentation at the Housing Studies Association Spring Conference, York, 11-13 April 2007 Catalina Turcu London School of Economics

2. Contents of the presentation Introduction Theoretical issues Introducing a new approach Developing a �list� of community sustainability Conclusion

3. Introduction �Creating sustainable communities� - overarching goal and long-term vision for the future 2005 UK Sustainable Development Strategy (H M Government, 2005) � one of 4 priorities 2003 Communities Plan My interest in �sustainable communities� / �community sustainability� What makes a sustainable community? When the job is done? When a community has achieved sustainability or is sustainable?

4. 1. Theoretical issues Defining �sustainable�/ �sustainability�? Broad definition Interpretations: ECOCENTRIC vs. ANTROPOCENTRIC (i.e. �nature� first) (i.e. people first) ? ? (STRONG sustainability) (WEAK sustainability) Hostility in academic circles: Defining �community�? Interpretations Communities of INTEREST/ IDENTITY vs. Communities of LOCALITY/ PLACE (social networks) (residential networks) What are �sustainable communities�? The �holly grail� of sustainable development? (Mazmanian & Kraft, 1999) Can we actually measure �sustainability�? Academics vs. policy makers/delivery people Some attempts to measure Other research socio-economic (Baine, Camp, & Eversley, 2005; Conway & Johnson, 2005; CURS, 1999); regeneration-neighbourhood (Barton, Grant, & Guise, 2003; Green et al., 2005; Groves, Middleton, Murie, & Broughton, 2003).

5. 2. Introducing a new approach What is the capability approach? �Capabilities are substantive human freedoms or real opportunities that people value and have reasons to value� (Vizard & Burchardt, 2007) p. 16 �Valuable� things that people effectively are able to do and be Two main developments in its application:

6. 2. Introducing a new approach � cont. One DEBATE: �list� vs. �no list� of capabilities/ domains/ dimensions �Having a list� vs. �making lists for every occasion� (Alkire, forthcoming) How to choose /domains? What are legitimate ways of defining domains? How to choose relevant dimensions within each domain? How to select domains and dimensions Alkire�s methods (Alkire, forthcoming) 1. Use of existing data 2. Use of normative assumptions or informed guesses of the researcher 3. Use of an existing list that was generated by consensus 4. Use of on-going deliberative participatory process 5. Use of empirical studies of people�s values and/ or behaviours Foundations for this framework 1. Use of 6 existing lists that were generated by policy or academic consensus 2. Use of informed guesses of the researcher 3. Use of deliberative consultation process

7. 3. Developing a �list� of community sustainability A working definition for �community sustainability� Anthropocentric sustainability + locality/ place community Working definition: �a group of people who share common experiences and interests, socially interact and network in a specific place and want to live in the same place, both now and in the future.� 3 questions: 1. What scale? 2. What time span? 3. What regeneration initiative/ application field? Starting points Characteristics of a potential list? 1. local � regeneration � time 2. simple & representative list of dimensions 3. enable comparisons across areas Research design

8. 3. Developing a �list� of community sustainability � cont. Step 1 � The IDEAL list = an theoretical exercise Six lists: �Securing the Future� (H M Government, 2005); �Egan� (ODPM, 2004); �Housing Corporation toolkit� (Long & Hutchins, 2003); �Four capitals� (Green et al., 2005); �Sustainability checklist of healthy neighbourhoods� (Barton et al., 2003); �Sustainable Seattle� (AtKisson, 1999) 

9. 3. Developing a �list� of community sustainability � cont. Step 1 � The IDEAL list = an theoretical exercise Selecting DOMAINS: 11 categories amalgamated in 6 super-domains 5 domains 1. Economy 4. Built Environment 2. Society 5. Governance 3. Natural Environment 

10. 3. Developing a �list� of community sustainability � cont. Step 1 � The IDEAL list = an theoretical exercise Selecting �spot-light� DIMENSIONS: ca. 175 dimensions under 5 domains 3 filters: 1. overlapping/ similarity 2. local/ locality 3. regeneration 

11. 3. Developing a �list� of community sustainability � cont. Step 1 � The IDEAL list = an theoretical exercise Selecting �spot-light� DIMENSIONS: �Further reductions�  �an IDEAL list = 5 domains & 21 dimensions

12. 3. Developing a �list� of community sustainability � cont. Step 2 � The PRAGMATIC list = an consultation exercise < 25 top level actors Deliberative consultation 1 new domain + 3 new dimensions Brief insight into preliminary findings: - general understanding of �sustainability��but �difficult to grasp� - understanding of community sustainability �geared� around: 1. new built 2. housing image

13. Instead of Conclusions� Some food for thought� How to further reduce the number of dimensions Education/ Health Moving towards or away from sustainability � ranking vs. threshold? Impact of urban regeneration vs. impact of individual programmes?

14. Sustainable housing, sustainable communities or both? Assessing the impact of housing renewal on community sustainability � A theoretical modelPresentation at the Housing Studies Association Spring Conference, York, 11-13 April 2007 Catalina Turcu Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion London School of Economics l.c.turcu@lse.ac.uk