The campaign for a National Strategy for Gypsy site provision and the role of Public Health activism in the 1960–1970s

We trace the post-war evolution of a national approach to providing caravan sites for Gypsies and Travellers—something essential to protect the health of that population in the United Kingdom (UK). Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the late Norman Dodds MP championed in Parliament the plight of the UK’s Gypsies and other nomads. He was instrumental in galvanising support for the 1968 Caravan Sites Act. The vision of influential individuals working in public and environmental health surmounted practical considerations and local opposition to implement the national programme of site provision envisioned by the Act. We detail this hitherto neglected aspect of Gypsy politics and policy development. In doing so, we highlight the transformative potential of public health and argue for a return to the comprehensive vision motivating these pioneers in the 1960s and 1970s

Barriers to transformative adaptation: Responses to flood risk in Ireland

Barriers to climate change adaptation have received increased attention in recent years as researchers and policymakers attempt to understand their complex and interdependent nature and identify strategies for overcoming them. To date however, there is a paucity of research on barriers to transformative adaptation. Using two case studies of flood risk management from Ireland we identify and characterize barriers to transformative adaptation. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders connected to proposed transformative strategies in Skibbereen, County Cork and Clontarf, County Dublin. Across both case studies, where transformative strategies failed to materialize, we highlight three significant barriers that impede transformation including: (i) social and cultural values, particularly place attachment and identity; (ii) institutional reliance on technical expertise which fails to look beyond traditional technocratic approaches and; (iii) institutional regulatory practices. Findings illustrate that where social or institutional barriers emerge, transformation may more likely succeed through a series of incremental changes. This research has practical implications for future adaptation planning as facilitating transformation through incrementalism requires flexible adaptation strategies that are responsive to changing social values over time. While focused on flood risk management, our findings have applicability for other sectors adapting to climate change

Housing supply and brownfield regeneration in a post-Barker review world: A comparison of policy and practice in England and Scotland

The findings of the Barker review, which examined the reasons for the undersupply of UK housing, have important implications for the devolved constituents of the UK, including Scotland. This paper traces the emergence of the brownfield regeneration policy agenda across the UK and examines how the Barker review connects with this brownfield policy focus. The paper compares housing and brownfield policies and practices in England and Scotland, places them in an international context and elicits wider lessons for devolved governance in relation to housing policy, in terms of `centrist—local' tensions. Estimates based on published data suggest that Barker's emphasis on increased housing supply cannot easily be reconciled with the current emphasis on brownfield development and is likely to require a return to greenfield development in both countries

City center housing in the UK: Prospects and policy challenges in a changing housing market

From the late 1990s, the city centers of English provincial cities have experienced significant amounts of new private sector housing development, mainly in the form of high-density flats. This new housing development was seen as a key component of the Urban Renaissance in English cities. It led to a large increase in the population of the central areas of the cities involved and provoked significant debate concerning potential gentrification and exclusionary impacts. More recently, however, a new set of concerns about the prospects and sustainability of new housing in city centers has emerged. It is suggested that a significant proportion of housing transactions in these areas involve investors. This investment activity has created a new dynamic in the housing market, with supply and prices increasingly reflecting investment demand, including short-term speculative acquisition of property. As the housing market turned down in 2008, questions were being asked about both occupier demand and investor demand for city center housing and, in this context, about the longer term sustainability of the form and type of new housing that has been developed. These issues were brought into sharp focus following the collapse of the US sub-prime market and the subsequent financial economic crisis. This paper uses evidence from a case study, the city of Bristol, to examine the changing city center housing market during a period when the housing market went into recession in the wake of the global financial crisis. It reviews the debate on the impact of market factors, including investor involvement on the housing markets of English cities, and policy factors in shaping the form of new housing developed. It also discusses the lessons that emerge for local housing and planning strategies, in particular, the extent to which the mix and type of new housing needs to be better managed