University College London Bartlett School of Planning Term 2: Critical Debates
MarĂa Castilla Bravo
Understanding the impacts of the social mixing policies A look to theories and global case studies
Introduction As cities become denser and more diverse, the implementation of socially mixed policies has become a major controversy amongst the urban design and planning discipline. Should planners and designers encourage the creation of socially mixed developments? This paper aims in understanding the arguments in favour and against it, and presents a systematic review of different theories and case studies. Some positive impacts of mixed housing developments were found in the social and economic domains, though also many negative effects regarding social cohesion. However, the evidence of the effects of social mixing policies in developments is very mixed and sparse. A stronger theoretical base is required to guide future research on the effects of mixed-use, which should consider the scale of the socioeconomic mixture, the design principles, and the engagement process, using comparison of case studies and secondary data. Based on the literature review, this study suggests that a careful case by case diagnosis must be done before applying any social mix policies. If this is not carefully done, it can produce negative effects concerning social exclusion.
The social-mix debate Jama and Shaw (2017) 1 state that social mixing policies are being increasingly adopted across the western, liberal governments as a solution to socio-economic spatial disadvantages. The social spatial segregation is evident in many cities, especially in the Global South, where there is an evident contrast between neighbourhoods. The spatial barriers within a city create social segregation, resentment and in many cases, injustice and violations to human rights. The implementation of
1 Jama, A,. Shaw, K. (2017) ‘Why do we need social mix?’ Analysis of an Australian inner-city public housing estate redevelopment. Housing Studies.