Social Cohesion through Equal Access to Architectural Quality, Despite Mixed Housing Tenures
The neighborhood is situated on an urban-rural continuum, where access to nature, the city, architectural quality and social cohesion have been imperatives of the project. The spatial arrangement of the neighborhood includes buildings devoted to particular tenure categories (social housing, rental, ownership) that come together around public spaces. The programmatic social mixing policy has been accompanied in its implementation by relevant actors and is slowly coming to life as residents has moved in since 2022.
This contribution advances two propositions: First, that equal access to architectural quality destigmatizes and hence is a precondition for social mixing and social cohesion. Second, social cohesion, can’t be decreed, but needs to be thoughtfully accompanied and implemented through a public, private partnership. These propositions will be supported with empirical material stemming from an architectural study and a social science enquiry of the lived experience of the residents.
This contribution explores the fruitful intertwining of neighborhood-level governance, social work expertise with planning professions. We argue that the formation of this interdisciplinary expertise is highly relevant for contemporary challenges of both urban development and urban renewal and needs to be incorporated from the outset of planning endeavors.
At a theoretical level, we will discuss community development, social production of space and social space orientation and the importance of the lived experience of current and future users of space.
In conclusion, based on theoretical exploration, empirical evidence and in knowledge of planning principles, we propose a process for interprofessional engagements, in which synergies and complementarities in urban expertise of both professions facilitate inclusive and sustainable urban environments.