Mixing tenures is now a widely accepted policy designed to tackle problems of social exclusion in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. However, the evidence base for mixing tenures is fragmented and ambiguous. With few exceptions, studies of mixed-tenure effects have been small, one-off investigations of individual communities, providing only a rudimentary basis for comparative evaluation. In attempting to address these issues, a national-level, ecological analysis of mixed tenure in Great Britain was conducted, using aggregate data from two decennial censuses and geocoded vital registrations. Asking the question whether mixing housing tenures is good for social well-being, the objective of the research is to establish under what, if any, circumstances tenure mixing is positively related to indicators of the social well-being of an area's population. The findings provide little support for positive outcomes and lead the authors to question the efficacy of mixing tenures as a policy for improving social well-being.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adams, I. (1975) The Making of Urban Scotland. London: Croom Helm.
2.
Adelaide City Council (2002) What sort of goods are neighbours? Social mix and a sustainable residential community in Adelaide. A `Green Paper' for the City Living Summit.
3.
Ahmad, N. and Rashid, S.N.S.A. (2005) Social mix in residential areas: a formula for social integration?Paper presented at the 8th International Conference of the Asian Planning Schools Association, Penang, September.
4.
Alcock, P. (2004) Participation or pathology: contradictory tensions in area-based policy, Social Policy and Society, 3, pp. 87-96.
5.
Allen, C., Camina, M., Casey, R. et al. (2005) Mixed tenure twenty years on: nothing out of the ordinary. Chartered Institute of Housing, Bristol.
6.
Arthurson, K. (2005) Social mix and the cities, Urban Policy and Research, 23(4), pp. 519-523.
7.
Atkinson, R. (2005) Neighbourhoods and the impacts of social mix: crime, tenure diversification and assisted mobility. Paper 29, ESRC Centre for Neighbourhood Research.
8.
Atkinson, R. and Kintrea, K. (2000) Owner-occupation, social mix and neighbourhood impacts, Policy and Politics, 28(1), pp. 93-108.
9.
Atkinson, R. and Kintrea, K. (2001) Disentangling area effects: evidence from deprived and non-deprived neighbourhoods, Urban Studies, 38(12), pp. 2277-2298.
10.
Berube, A. (2005) Mixed communities in England: a US perspective on evidence and policy prospects. Report for theJoseph Rowntree Foundation, York.
11.
Boyle, P.J., Gatrell, A.C. and Duke-Williams, O. (1999) Self-reported limiting long term illness, relative deprivation, and population stability in England and Wales, Social Science and Medicine, 49, pp. 791-799.
12.
Brophy, P.C. and Smith, R.N. (1997) Mixed-income housing: factors for success, Cityscape, 3(2), pp. 3-31.
13.
Burrows, R. (2003) Poverty and Home Ownership in Contemporary Britain . Bristol: The Policy Press.
14.
Cecodhas (2004) Mixed tenure (http://www.cecodhas.org/index.php; accessed 21 January 2007).
15.
Chartered Institute of Housing (2006) The case for a PSA target to deliver a better mix of housing. Chartered Institute of Housing, London (http://www.cih.org/policy/PSATargetMixedHousing.pdf).
16.
Communities Scotland (2004) Future options for mixed tenure and registered social landlord (RSL) property in Edinburgh's pre-1919 tenements. Report No. 29 ( http://www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_009027.pdf ).
17.
Confederation of British Industry (2005) Planning for mixed communities-ODPM Consultation Paper CBI Response, 15 April. CBI, London.
18.
Cowans, J. (Ed.) (1999) Inclusive Housing: The Role of Low-cost Home Ownership. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
19.
Daly, G., Mooney, G., Poole, L. and Davis, H. (2005) Housing stock transfer in Birmingham and Glasgow: the contrasting experiences of two UK cities, European Journal of Housing Policy, 5(3), pp. 327-342.
20.
DCLG (Department of Communities and Local Government) (2007) Housing in England 2005/06. DCLG, London.
21.
DETR (Department of the Environment,(Transport and the Regions) (2000) Our Towns and Cities-The Future: Delivering an Urban Renaissance. Urban White Paper. London: HMSO.
22.
Doherty, J., Graham, E., Boyle, P. et al. (2006) Is mixed tenure for social well being? Report for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation ( http://www.standrews.ac.uk/chr/mixing-pubs.html; accessed 21 January 2007).
23.
Dorling, D. and Rees, P. (2003) A nation still dividing: the British census and social polarisation 1971-2001, Environment and Planning A , 35, pp. 1287-1313.
24.
Easterlow, D., Smith, S.J. and Mallinson, S. (2000) Housing for health: the role of owner occupation , Housing Studies, 15(3), pp. 367-386.
25.
Ellaway, A. and Macintyre, S. (1998) Does housing tenure predict health in the UK because it exposes people to different levels of housing related hazards in the home or its surroundings?, Health and Place, 4(2), pp. 141-150.
26.
Ellaway, A., Macintyre, S. and Kearns, A. (2001) Perceptions of place and health in socially contrasting neighbourhoods, Urban Studies, 12, pp. 2299-2316.
27.
Ellen, I.G. and Turner, M. (1997) Does neighbourhood matter? Assessing recent evidence , Housing Policy Debate, 8, pp. 833-866.
28.
Feantsa (2001) Housing policy as a way of reinforcing social cohesion. 13th European Meeting of Housing Ministers, final communiqué, edited summary. FEANTSA, Brussels.
29.
Fitzpatrick, S. (2004) Poverty of place. Keynote address, HRF Centenary Conference, University of York.
30.
Galster, G., Quercia, R.G. and Cortes, A. (2000) Identifying neighbourhood thresholds: an empirical exploration, Housing Policy Debate, 11(3), pp. 701-732.
31.
Gatrell, A.C. (2002) Geographies of Health: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell.
32.
Graham, E., Macleod, M., Johnston, M. et al. (2001) Individual deprivation, neighbourhood and recovery from illness, in: H. Graham (Ed.) Understanding Health Inequalities, pp. 170-185. Buckingham : Open University Press.
33.
Groves, R., Middleton, A., Murie, A. and Broughton, K. (2003) Neighbourhoods that Work: A Study of the Bournville Estate, Birmingham. Bristol: The Policy Press.
34.
Harvey, J., Tomkinson, G., Graham, R. and Quayle, Q. (1997) Mapping local authority estates using the index of local conditions. Housing Research Report. DoE, London.
35.
Holmes, C. (2006) Mixed communities: success and sustainability. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York (http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/foundations/0176.asp ; accessed 21 January 2007).
36.
Housing Corporation (2006) Neighbourhoods and communities strategy. Housing Corporation, London.
37.
Johnston, C. (2002) Housing policy and social mix: an exploratory paper. Shelter NSW (http://www.shelternsw.infoxchange.net.au/docs/rpt02socialmix-sb.pdf ).
38.
Jones, C. (2002) The definition of housing market areas and strategic planning, Urban Studies, 39(1), pp. 549-564.
39.
Jones, C. and Murie, A. (2006) The Right to Buy: Analysis and Evaluation of a Housing Policy. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
40.
Jupp, B. (1999) Living together: community life on mixed tenure estates. Report, Demos, London.
41.
Kawachi, I. and Berkman, L. (Eds) (2003) Neighbourhoods and Health. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
42.
Kleinhans, R. (2004) Social implications of housing diversification in urban renewal: a review of recent literature, Journal of Housing and Built Environment, 19, pp. 367-390.
43.
Kleinman, M. (2000) Include me out? The new politics of place and poverty , Policy Studies, 21(1), pp. 49-61.
44.
Knox, M., Alcock, D., Roderick, A. and Iles, J. (2002) Approaches to Community Governance: Models for Mixed Tenure Communities. Bristol: The Policy Press.
45.
Lupton, R. (2003) Neighbourhood effects: can we measure them and does it matter? CASE Paper No. 73, London School of Economics.
46.
Macintyre, S., Ellaway, A. and Cummins, S. (2002) Place effects on health: how can we conceptualise, operationalise and measure them?, Social Science and Medicine , 55, pp. 125-139.
47.
Macintyre, S., Hiscock, R., Kearns, A. and Ellaway, A. (2000) Housing tenure and health inequalities: a three-dimensional perspective on people homes and neighbourhoods, in: H. Graham (Ed.) Understanding Health Inequalities, pp. 129-142. Buckingham: Open University Press.
48.
Manley, D., Flowerdew, R. and Steel, D. (2006) Scales, levels and processes: studying spatial patterns of British census variables, Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 30(2), pp. 143-160.
49.
Martin, G. (2001) Swamps and alligators: the future for low-cost home-ownership. TheJoseph Rowntree Foundation, York.
50.
Martin, G. and Watkinson, J. (2003) Rebalancing communities: introducing mixed incomes into existing rented housing estates. TheJoseph Rowntree Foundation, York.
51.
Musterd, S. (2002) Response: mixed housing policy: a European (Dutch) perspective, Housing Studies, 17(1), pp. 139-143.
52.
Musterd, S. and Andersson, R. (2005) Housing mix, social mix, and social opportunities , Urban Affairs Review, 40(6), pp. 761-790.
53.
Musterd, S. and Andersson, R. (2006) Employment social mobility and neighbourhood effects: the case of Sweden, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 30(1), pp. 120-140.
54.
Newhaven Research (2006) The future for social renting in Scotland: discussion paper. A report for CIH in Scotland. Chartered Institute of Housing, Edinburgh.
55.
Norris, M. (2005) Mixed tenure housing estates: development, design, management and socio-economic impacts. Housing Unit, Dublin.
56.
Norris, M. and Shiels, P. (2004) Regular national report on housing developments in European countries: synthesis report. Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Ireland.
57.
ODPM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) (2005a) Sustainable communities: people, places and prosperity. Cm 6425. ODPM, London.
58.
Odpm (2005b) Planning for mixed communities: a consultation paper on a proposed change to Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister , London.
59.
Openshaw, S. (1984) The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem. Norwich: Geo Books.
60.
Ostendorf, W., Musterd, S. and Vos, S. de (2001) Social mix and the neighborhood effect: policy ambitions and empirical evidence, Housing Studies , 16(3), pp. 371-380.
61.
Pawson, H., Kirk, K. and McIntosh, S. (2000) Assessing the impact of tenure diversification: the case of Niddrie, Edinburgh. Research Report No. 79, Scottish Homes, Edinburgh.
62.
Popkin, S., Katz, B., Cunningham, M. et al. (2004) A decade of HOPE VI: research findings and policy challenges. The Urban Institute, Washington, DC.
63.
Power, A. (1997) Estates on the Edge: The Social Consequences of Mass Housing in Europe. Houndmills: Macmillan.
64.
Priemus, H. (1998) Redifferentiation of the urban housing stock in the Netherlands: a strategy to prevent spatial segregation?, Housing Studies, 13(3), pp. 301-310.
65.
Rees, P. and Martin, D. (2002) The debate about census geography, in: P. H. Rees, D. Martin and P. Williamson (Eds) The Census Data System, pp. 26-36. Chichester: Wiley.
66.
Rodgers, Lord (1999) Towards an urban renaissance. London, DETR.
67.
Rodgers, Lord (2005) Towards a strong urban renaissance. An independent report by members of the Urban Task Force, London.
68.
Sampson, R., Morenoff, J. and Gannon-Rowley, T. (2002) Assessing`neighbourhood effects': social processes and new directions in research, Annual Review of Sociology, 28, pp. 443-478.
69.
Sarkissian, W. (1976) The idea of social mix in town planning: a historical review, Urban Studies, 13, pp. 231-246.
70.
Sarkissian, W., Forsyth, A. and Heine, W. (1990) Residential `social mix': the debate continues , Australian Planner, March.
71.
Schwartz, A. and Tajbakhsh, K. (1997) Mixed income housing: unanswered questions, Cityscape, 3(2), pp. 71-92.
72.
Scottish Executive (2006) People and place: regeneration policy statement. The Scottish Government, Edinburgh ( http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/06/01145839/0).
73.
Scottish Homes (2001) Tenure mix and neighbourhood regeneration. Precis No. 127.
74.
Sillars, R. (2007) The development of the right to buy and the sale of council houses, Economic Affairs, 27(1), pp. 52-57.
75.
Smith, A. (2002) Mixed-income housing developments: promise and reality. Joint Center on Housing Studies, Harvard, Cambridge, MA.
76.
Smith, S. and Mallinson, S. (1997) Housing for health in a post-welfare state, Housing Studies, 12(2), pp. 173-200.
77.
Smith, S., Easterlow, D., Munro, M. and Turner, K. (2003) Housing as health capital: how health trajectories and housing careers are linked, Journal of Social Issues, 59(3), pp. 501-526.
78.
Tunstall, R. (2000) The promotion of `mixed tenure': in search of the evidence base. Paper presented at the Housing Association Conference, York.
79.
Tunstall, R. and Fenton, A. (2006) In the mix: a review of mixed tenure, mixed income and mixed communities. Housing Corporation, London.
80.
Wood, M. (2003) A balancing act? Tenure diversification in Australia and the UK, Urban Policy and Research, 21(1), pp. 45-56.
