Inclusionary Housing and Urban Inequality in London and New York City

Yuca Meubrink currently works as academic coordinator of the interdisciplinary research group “Sustainable construction – for saving resources and climate protection” of Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. She previously worked as a research and teaching assistant in the study program Metropolitan Culture at the HafenCity University Hamburg, Germany from where she also received her Ph.D. She has been a visiting scholar at City University of New York and at Birkbeck, University of London. She is also a member of the editorial collective, sub\urban. zeitschrift für kritische stadtforschung – a peer-reviewed, open access journal. Yuca Meubrink studied North American Studies, Cultural and Social Anthropology and Journalism in Berlin, Germany.

“Inclusionary Housing and Urban Inequality in London and New York City, provides an exemplary comparative critical analysis of how inclusionary housing policies and practices provide a ‘back door’ to gentrification rather than an entree to more truly affordable housing provision.” Paul Watt, Visiting Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science.“On the basis of fine-tuned fieldwork and careful policy analysis Yuca Meubrink’s book alerts us to the insidious effects of supposedly win/win inclusionary housing policy. An extremely timely and important analysis, her book should be required reading for all urban planners and anyone following or trying to change contemporary housing policy.”Ida Susser, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor, Graduate Center/City University of New York.“Inclusionary housing is widely regarded as an effective tool for solving the housing crisis by providing affordable housing while also fostering social mix. This careful empirical study comparing new-build mixed income developments in NYC and London demonstrates expertly how and why the planning, design and ‘real life’ outcomes not only fall far short of the promised targets, but even accelerate gentrification and displacement.” Margit Mayer, Senior Fellow at the Center for Metropolitan Studies, Germany.

• List of FiguresList of MapsList of TablesList of BoxesAcknowledgementsAcronymsIntroductionRethinking Inclusionary Housing in an Age of AusterityA Tale of Two Doors: The “Poor Door” PhenomenonBenevolent Planning Policy or“Recipe” for Gentrification?: Recent Approaches to Inclusionary Housing in London and New York CityResearching Inclusionary Housing: Literature Review and Conceptual FrameworkApproaching Inclusionary Housing: Methods and National and Local ContextSummary of the ChaptersChapter 1 Building the Way Out of the Crisis? The Evolution of Inclusionary Housing Policies in London and New York City under Conditions of AusterityFirst Phases of Inclusionary Housing Second Phase of Inclusionary HousingThird Phase of Inclusionary HousingContinuity Despite ChangeChapter 2Creating Value for Profit Rather Than “Affordable Housing”: Neighborhood Regeneration Under the Pretext of Inclusionary HousingUrban Regeneration in the Context of Urban Entrepreneurialism and Financialization of Housing in London and New York CityCreating Value Out of Thin Air?The State as Developer: The Redevelopment of Central Hill Estate in LondonThe State as Enabler: Rezoning Inwood in New York CityComparing New York City and LondonChapter 3Reclaiming What, Where and for Whom? How the Provision of a “Public Good” Contributes to New-Build GentrificationThe Role of Local Governments in the Uneven Spatial Distribution of Inclusionary Housing DevelopmentsCases Studied in Each CityNegotiating Inclusionary Housing in Affluent NeighborhoodsNegotiating Inclusionary Housing in Low-Income NeighborhoodsNeighborhood Inequalities ReinforcedChapter 4Vertical Segregation by Design: How Inclusionary Housing Developments Contribute to a Vertical Gentrification MovementTheoretical Considerations of Vertical Segregation by DesignVertical Segregation by Design in London and New York CityVertical Gentrification of Mixed-Income HousingInterviewChapter 5Limited Accessibility to and Affordability of “Affordable Housing” as a Form of GentrificationAccessible for Whom?Affordable for Whom?Gentrification of “Affordable Housing”InterviewsConclusionInclusionary Housing as Part of the Problem, Not the Solution to the Housing Affordability CrisesAfterwordThe COVID-19 Pandemic as a Transformative Moment of Inclusionary Housing?The End of Section 106 in England: A New Fast-Track Route for Developers or a New Way to Deliver Affordable Housing? A Glimpse of Hope in New York City? Concluding Remarks Index