Social Housing Regeneration and the Creation of Sustainable Communities in Dublin

Abstract

In the past decade many social housing flat (apartment) complexes in Dublin have undergone some form of regeneration, from minor refurbishment to complete demolition and redevelopment. The context and impetus for such widespread regeneration has been the political articulation that social housing in Ireland, and especially in Dublin, is dysfunctional and unsustainable. It is contended, primarily on the basis of tenure mix arguments, that regeneration will lead to long-term social and environmental sustainability. Consequently, a number of inner city social housing complexes are currently subject to regeneration that involves their demolition and redevelopment as mixed-tenure estates through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) methods. This represents a new social and economic model of regeneration, albeit one which has generated considerable controversy. The process of regeneration has, for example, been criticised as lacking any meaningful community participation, with the mechanisms of the redevelopment process making it difficult for the community to influence the process. More generally, the creation of mixed tenure estates has been criticised as leading to a diminution of social housing in Dublin, as the social housing component in these estates has been significantly reduced. On the positive side, however, it has been argued that this model of social mixing will lead to sustainable regeneration. This paper, which is partly based on ongoing research of some case study estates in Dublin, examines and reflects on the issues of sustainable regeneration and the creation of sustainable communities.