Why mixed communities regeneration fails to improve the lives of low-income young people

TY - JOUR

T1 - Why mixed communities regeneration fails to improve the lives of low-income young people

AU - Khazbak, Rana

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Urban Studies Journal Limited 2024.

PY - 2025/1

Y1 - 2025/1

N2 - The demolition and replacement of social housing with mixed income communities is thought to mitigate the harmful effects of growing up in geographical concentrations of poverty and improve the life chances of low-income populations. However, there is little evidence on how young people are impacted by mixed communities regeneration prevalent in many cities across the Western world. This paper examines the mechanisms through which the capabilities of low-income young people are influenced by transforming their social housing estate into a mixed income community. It draws on participatory research with teenagers and adult stakeholders in a London mixed income neighbourhood. The findings suggest that mixed communities regeneration perpetuates the social injustices that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds experience in the city. The paper identifies and unpacks the mechanisms of stigmatisation, exclusion, social inequalities, community fragmentation and marginalisation of youth voices implicated in these injustices. These mechanisms constrain many of the capabilities young people value including their ability to benefit from their neighbourhood’s regeneration.

AB - The demolition and replacement of social housing with mixed income communities is thought to mitigate the harmful effects of growing up in geographical concentrations of poverty and improve the life chances of low-income populations. However, there is little evidence on how young people are impacted by mixed communities regeneration prevalent in many cities across the Western world. This paper examines the mechanisms through which the capabilities of low-income young people are influenced by transforming their social housing estate into a mixed income community. It draws on participatory research with teenagers and adult stakeholders in a London mixed income neighbourhood. The findings suggest that mixed communities regeneration perpetuates the social injustices that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds experience in the city. The paper identifies and unpacks the mechanisms of stigmatisation, exclusion, social inequalities, community fragmentation and marginalisation of youth voices implicated in these injustices. These mechanisms constrain many of the capabilities young people value including their ability to benefit from their neighbourhood’s regeneration.

KW - mixed communities

KW - neighbourhood effects

KW - social mix

KW - urban regeneration

KW - young people

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85194560059

U2 - 10.1177/00420980241248965

DO - 10.1177/00420980241248965

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85194560059

SN - 0042-0980

VL - 62

SP - 167

EP - 186

JO - URBAN STUDIES

JF - URBAN STUDIES

IS - 1

ER -