Realising Collective Self-Organised Housing: A Network Agency Perspective

ABSTRACT

Multi-unit housing in western nations is predominately provided via speculative development. Groups of residents increasingly seek to collectively develop housing for their own use in the cities of developed nations. Some succeed, but many do not. Conceptualising housing provision as a heterogeneous network, a network/agency framework is employed to observe four housing projects in Melbourne, Australia, as well as policies introduced in Berlin and London to assist collective self-organising. It is demonstrated that rather than changing existing networks, the policies unintentionally reinforced the status quo. In conclusion, insights for policy interventions in support of Collective Self-Organised housing are provided.

西方国家的多单元住房主要是通过投机开发提供的. 在发达国家的城市中，越来越多的居民寻求集体开发自用住房. 有些人成功了，但许多人没有. 将住房供应概念化为一个异质网络，采用网络/机构框架观察澳大利亚墨尔本的四个住房项目，以及柏林和伦敦为协助集体自组织而出台的政策.结果表明，这些政策并没有改变现有的网络，而是无意中强化了现状. 综上所述，为支持集体自组织住房的政策干预提供了见解.

KEYWORDS:

• Collaborative self-organised housing
• network agency
• Australia
• London
• Berlin
• baugruppe

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The CC group dissolved its partnership with its not-for-profit community housing provider shortly after data collection was undertaken. The cohousing ambition of the residents has not been abandoned however and the group is currently pursuing their housing project with an alternative partner, that being Nightingale Housing. The new partnership is the subject of ongoing research by the author.

2. Following the installation of a Labour government in 2016, the focus of the Greater London Authority housing policy has since altered, prioritising social rental housing. Land disposal programmes preferencing Community Land Trusts commenced in 2018 and are the subject of current research by the author.