Features of home and neighbourhood and the liveability of older South Africans

While older people live in developing countries, little is known about the relative importance of features of their communities in influencing their liveability. We examinecomponents of home and neighbourhood among older South Africans. Linear regression analyses revealed that features of home (basic amenities, household composition, financial status and safety) and neighbourhood (ability to shop for groceries, participate in organizations and feel safe from crime) are significantly associated with life satisfaction. Approaches to liveability that are person-centred and also set within contexts beyond home and neighbourhood are needed to addressboundaries between home and neighbourhood; incorporate personal resources into liveability models and import broader environmental contexts such as health and social policy

Comparing deconcentrating poverty policies in the United States and the Netherlands: A critical reply to Stal and Zuberi

This paper is a critical reply to an article by Stal and Zuberi, in which they compare two policies which deconcentrate poverty in the US and the Netherlands. By drawing lessons from a renewal program in the Netherlands, they suggest several ways to help break the ‘cycle of poverty’. We distinguish at least three fundamental flaws in their argument. After discussing these flaws, we discuss renewal in Dutch cities and issues related to displacement and social networks. We conclude with a reflection on the nature of comparative urban research.status: publishe

Exclusion as urban policy: The Dutch ‘Act on Extraordinary Measures for Urban Problems’

The Dutch government introduced the Act on Extraordinary Measures for Urban Problems in 2006 to bolster local regeneration efforts. The act enables local governments to stop specific groups of deprived households from moving into designated neighbourhoods. More specifically, the Act allows local governments to refuse a residence permit to persons who have lived in the metropolitan region for less than six years and who do not receive an income from work, pensions or student loans. The policy is based on the idea that reducing the influx of poor newcomers improves liveability by providing a temporary relief of the demand for public services and by making neighbourhoods demographically ‘balanced’ or ‘socially mixed’. This review examines the socio-spatial effects of the Act in Rotterdam between 2006 and 2013. While the Act produces socio-demographic changes, the state of the living environment in designated areas seems to be worsening rather than improving. Our findings show that the policy restricts the rights of excluded groups without demonstrably improving safety or liveability. The review concludes with a reflection on how the Act may signify a broader change in European statecraft and urban policy

Youths growing up in the French banlieues:Partners that make the city

How can cities become ‘livable’ for all urban residents? In this chapter, the authors explore the livable city as a city that is livable also for youths and also in marginalized urban areas by zooming in on the case of French youths growing up in the banlieues of Paris. Drawing on ethnographic research in Seine-Saint-Denis, a banlieue northeast of Paris, the authors explore the activities which banlieue youths undertake to realize quality of life in their city. The findings show that youths in the banlieues engage in ‘making their city’ in everyday practices and informal partnerships, even if they do not engage in ‘governing their city’ through formalized partnerships. Based on this study, the authors suggest that attention for informal practices that shape collective life in the city could inform a more inclusive perspective on urban decision making. Exploring the activities that youths take to ‘make the city’, this chapter teaches the reader not only that youths can be vital actors in partnerships for livable cities, but even more so how these partnerships can be effective and legitimate from the perspective of marginalized urban youths