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1 – 10 of over 9000The marginalisation of council housing in Britain since the Housing Act of 1980 threatens to obscure some of the very valuable lessons to be learned from almost a century of mass…
Abstract
The marginalisation of council housing in Britain since the Housing Act of 1980 threatens to obscure some of the very valuable lessons to be learned from almost a century of mass public housing provision. This chapter demonstrates that despite considerable economic problems, and in the face of social change since 1980, a relatively poor council estate remained a site of social capital, and that women were particularly prominent in working with local agencies to solve problems.
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Based on a case study of the ‘regeneration’ of the ‘Five Estates’ of Peckham, a neighbourhood located in south-east London, this chapter considers the social implications of urban…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on a case study of the ‘regeneration’ of the ‘Five Estates’ of Peckham, a neighbourhood located in south-east London, this chapter considers the social implications of urban ‘regeneration’ processes from an anthropological perspective centred on concepts of waste and value and highlights the emotional turmoil and personal disruption that individuals affected by regeneration plans routinely experience.
Methodology/approach
An ethnographic approach is used based on participant observation, unstructured and semi-structured interviews as well as limited archival research. Life histories are central to the methodology and these result in the substantial use of long quotes from respondents, to highlight the ways in which they framed the issues as well as their opinions.
Findings
The chapter shows how urban regeneration processes that involve displacements and demolitions deeply affect the lives of estate residents. In juxtaposing the voices and experiences of local politicians, officers and residents it sheds light on the ways in which the values and interests of some individuals — those invested with more power, ultimately — ended up shaping regenerated landscapes. At the same time, the homes and communities valued by the residents who lived in them were demolished, removed and destroyed. They were wasted, literally and symbolically, erased from the landscape, their claims to it denied and ultimately forgotten.
Social implications
The chapter highlights how while the rhetoric of regeneration strives to portray these developments as improvement and renewal, the ethnographic evidence shows instead the other side of urban regeneration as wasting both communities and urban landscapes resulting in ‘state-led gentrification’.
Originality/value
Thinking about regeneration and recycling through waste and value allows us to consider these processes in a novel way: at a micro level we can look at the ways in which individuals attribute to and recognise value in different sets of objects and social relationships. At the macro level we can then observe how the power dynamics that shaped the situation resulted in only a specific view and set of values to be enacted and respected, while all others were silenced, wasted and literally expelled from Peckham.
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The total capital value of the tenanted non‐residential property ofEnglish and Welsh local authorities is immense, more even than the totalholdings of the top eight, UK‐based…
Abstract
The total capital value of the tenanted non‐residential property of English and Welsh local authorities is immense, more even than the total holdings of the top eight, UK‐based, property companies. However, while property investment companies own tenanted property for financial returns, the primary reason for its ownership by local authorities is far from clear. A survey of councils revealed that while many considered much of their tenanted non‐residential property was held for investment, it rarely formed part of wider financial investment aims. Moreover, investment objectives and management strategies were not clearly stated, prioritized, effected, or measurable. These failings were true of both individual properties and overall portfolios. Where property does not primarily meet a function of a statutory local authority, it must at least be regarded as non‐operational. The opportunity for a council to create a credible investment property portfolio is markedly restricted by the absence of the statutory objective of “property investment”. If, after review, property remains unsuited for assisting any real function of local government, it should be classed as surplus. It is proposed that local authority investment property may therefore justifiably be considered surplus to the functional objectives and requirements of a statutory local authority. If also unsuitable for operational use, such property should be programmed for disposal.
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Low Sui Pheng, Deng Xiaopeng and Laura Lye
It is recognised that upgrading programmes are imperative components of public housing in Singapore. In order to keep pace with the ever‐continuing rise in affluence and hence…
Abstract
Purpose
It is recognised that upgrading programmes are imperative components of public housing in Singapore. In order to keep pace with the ever‐continuing rise in affluence and hence expectations of the residents, these upgrading programmes need to be carried out with a complete understanding of residents’ needs and perceptions, which may change over time. Good communications between the residents and those managing upgrading projects is therefore important to ensure that what is provided is what the residents need and want. The purpose of this paper is to understand the project management issues involved in upgrading programmes in public housing in Singapore, with particular focus on communications management.
Design/methodology/approach
The study included a questionnaire survey of 30 residents of a public housing estate undergoing upgrading works in Singapore. The fieldwork evaluates how these residents perceived the importance of and their satisfaction with various communications issues identified from the literature review.
Findings
It was observed that much effort was invested to foster good relationships with the residents, and also to ensure that they are kept informed about the progress of the upgrading works. However, the survey findings revealed that the satisfaction levels of the residents generally still fall short of their expectations, which suggests that communications management of upgrading projects in public housing estates remains an area that needs to be improved and enhanced in the near future.
Practical implications
Upgrading programmes for Singapore's public housing estates was started in 1989 by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to bridge the gap between the standards of the older estates and that of the newer towns. Today, some two decades later, the upgrading programmes are still in place, but now with increased focus on flexibility and resident consultation. The engagement of residents in decision‐making of matters affecting their immediate neighbourhood can be found in many of the upgrading programmes.
Originality/value
The paper assesses the management of communications during different stages of a typical upgrading project in the HDB estates, and also the various communications channels employed by the relevant authorities to disseminate information to the residents. It is important to note that communication is not simply concerned with the sending of messages, but also with whether the intended recipients receive them as intended.
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Adopts the label “tenanted non‐residential property” (TNRP) rather than employ loaded terms such as “commercial” or “investment”. Deals with the perceived objectives for which…
Abstract
Adopts the label “tenanted non‐residential property” (TNRP) rather than employ loaded terms such as “commercial” or “investment”. Deals with the perceived objectives for which local authorities hold TNRP and the functional, financial and legal setting. Compares category bases for property holdings and, in particular, examines attitudes to acquisition, management, retention and disposal of TNRP. Notes the confusion between investment and indirect service objectives and the consequential expected returns. Discusses the findings of a survey of councils centring on the characteristics and management of their TNRP holdings. Concludes that objectives and management strategy for local authority‐owned TNRP remain undeveloped. Suggests that the ability to properly manage and develop a real investment portfolio may be ultra vires. Recommends, in the shorter term, if not ultra vires, dividing TNRP between those held primarily for indirect service and those held primarily as financial investments. Expects, however, in the longer term, pressures from local service needs and central government will encourage, indeed force, the progressive disposal of all non‐operational property, including TNRP. Identifies a new form of TNRP, one within the council. Seeks to clarify and effect the different strategies for operational property between the centralized corporate council landlord and decentralized service tenants, and proposes the creation of “internal leases”.
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Rapid development of information technology (IT) has posed constant challenges to business information management. By using a case study, this paper discusses the main components…
Abstract
Rapid development of information technology (IT) has posed constant challenges to business information management. By using a case study, this paper discusses the main components and development of an information system (IS) for public housing management in Singapore. It was found that the IS has evolved around a core of transaction processing system, with value‐adding sub‐systems which reflect the use of the latest IT. The paper not only contributes to the understanding of IS for public housing management, but also to the planning of IS for business management.
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J.M. Bates and A. Gabor
The data of a recent consumer survey for the examination of the relationship between the classification characteristics of the subjects, the type of areas of their domicile and…
Abstract
The data of a recent consumer survey for the examination of the relationship between the classification characteristics of the subjects, the type of areas of their domicile and their answers to certain questions were used to reveal, following a preliminary test by the application of principal components analysis, that the results could not adequately be described by just a few factors. However, it is shown that selection of the sample with reference to the predominant type of housing in which the subjects live, can effectively enhance the representation of the results.
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Aart C. Hordijk and James C. Condit
For ages, the diverse histories and cultures of European nations have challenged professionals and politicians who have attempted to refine international co‐operation and trade…
Abstract
For ages, the diverse histories and cultures of European nations have challenged professionals and politicians who have attempted to refine international co‐operation and trade. The turbulent history of the attempts to develop a single European market and European currency attests to that. Efforts to standardize appraisal practices have been no less challenging. Three groups have been prominent in this effort: Inter‐European appraiser organizations, professional organizations, and the real property investors. Experience with the ROZ/IPD Index (a comparative data analysis) indicates that the investors are forcing the creation of national and international appraisal standards in order to accomplish their investment goals and minimize risk.