The Impact of Regeneration on Community Dynamics and Processes
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Reconstructing Communities: the impact of regeneration on community dynamics and processes BY Stacy R. Pethia A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Centre for Urban and Regional Studies Birmingham Business School College of Social Sciences The University of Birmingham January 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract The New Labour government placed communities at the heart of urban regeneration policy. Area deprivation and social exclusion were to be addressed through rebuilding community in deprived areas, a process involving tenure diversification and the building of bridging social capital to support community empowerment, increased aspirations and wide-spread mutually supportive relationships. There is, however, little empirical evidence that tenure mix is an effective means for achieving the social goals of neighbourhood renewal. This thesis contributes to the mixed tenure debate by exploring the impact of regeneration on community. The research was guided by theories of social structure and cultural systems and argues that the regeneration process may give rise to social divisions and conflict between community groups, inhibiting culture change. The research was conducted on a social housing estate located within the West Midlands region. The findings represent the views of local residents and community workers and suggest that greater recognition needs to be given to the role intimate social ties play in community sustainability, that the provision of supportive services must be balanced with individual self-efficacy, and that regeneration policy should focus less on what new homeowners can bring to a community and more on what community can already offer. Acknowledgements Writing this thesis was a huge undertaking for me; the process incorporated resignation from my job, a move to a new country and unfamiliar research methods. The list of people who supported me through the process is long and I am deeply grateful for all of them. My supervisors, Dr. Mike Beazley and Dr. Rob Rowlands, provided the guidance and encouragement needed to complete the thesis. Dr. Beazley deserves special thanks for his unlimited patience and support through difficult periods of the research. I also would like to thank Professor David Mullins for providing the opportunity to participate in an English- Dutch research project. The experience broadened my knowledge of housing management processes and helped build my confidence as a researcher. A big thank you is extended to Dr. Ricky Joseph for his friendship, advice and willingness to listen to me talk at length about the some fairly irrelevant topics. And recognition must be given to Sue Truman who not only helped me navigate my way through administration procedures, but also made the transition to life in the UK less stressful. Special recognition must be given the residents and staff of Castle Vale—Lisa, Ian and Wendy who helped facilitate interviews and made sure I could find my way around the estate, but most especially the residents who welcomed me into their homes and into their community. Finally, I must express my unending and heart-felt gratitude to my parents. Without their support, this research would never have been completed. They have been extremely supportive and understanding throughout my five years in the UK and all I can say is, thanks and I love you. I could not have done this without you. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................................................................I ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................................................. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................. III LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................. X LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................... XII INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 PURPOSE AND RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH ............................................................................................ 4 THEORETICAL APPROACH .............................................................................................................................. 7 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 8 THESIS OUTLINE ............................................................................................................................................. 9 SECTION ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTER TWO: URBAN REGENERATION AND NEW LABOUR ................................................. 13 URBAN POVERTY AND POLICY PRESCRIPTIONS 1945-1997 ................................................................. 14 Environmental determinism ......................................................................................................... 15 Slum clearance and council housing estates ..................................................................... 16 The social-pathology of poverty .................................................................................................. 19 The National Community Development Projects programme ................................... 22 Structural views of poverty ........................................................................................................... 25 FROM POVERTY TO SOCIAL INCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 29 From discourse... .............................................................................................................................. 30 iii ... to practice ......................................................................................................................................... 32 The Social Exclusion Unit and Policy Action Teams ............................................................. 34 Policy Action Teams .................................................................................................................... 37 THE WAY FORWARD: SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ................................................................................ 39 Area-based initiatives ...................................................................................................................... 41 Mixed tenure communities ............................................................................................................ 44 Tenure mix – a recipe for sustainable change? ...................................................................... 50 Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere ............................................................... 51 Physical improvements .......................................................................................... 52 Economic development and neighbourhood revitalisation .................................. 53 Sustainable communities ....................................................................................... 53 Poverty deconcentration ....................................................................................... 54 Results so far.................................................................................................................................. 54 Physical redevelopment ........................................................................................ 55 Economic development and community revitalisation ........................................ 55 Sustainable communities ....................................................................................... 56 Poverty deconcentration ....................................................................................... 57 A mixed message .......................................................................................................................... 59 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................................. 60 CHAPTER THREE: THEORY ...................................................................................................................... 62 WHAT IS COMMUNITY? ................................................................................................................................ 64 Community Lost ................................................................................................................................. 67 Community Saved .............................................................................................................................