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Towards design reparations: remedying urban morphologies through policy reform in Harlem, New York

Rickenbacker, S.; (2024) Towards design reparations: remedying urban morphologies through policy reform in Harlem, New York. Architecture_MPS , 28 (1) , Article 3. 10.14324/111.444.amps.2024v28i1.003. Green open access

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Abstract

This article critically examines the paradox of housing as a symbol of societal progress in the United States, juxtaposed against the historical legacy of housing segregation, regulatory policy and market biases. It underscores the far-reaching consequences of such policies, which have not only exacerbated the current national housing crisis and widened the racial wealth gap, but also entrenched social inequalities, disproportionately affecting marginalised and minority communities. The article assesses the role of housing market segregation, slum clearance, urban renewal and contemporary zoning regulations and architecture in steering urban development practices, and how they have inadvertently and, in some cases intentionally, hindered equitable spatial opportunities, particularly in housing. Utilising a case study centred on Harlem, New York, this article explores the concept of spatial reparations as a catalyst for policy reform and emergent spatial morphologies that promote redressing both past and current injustices. It emphasises the potential of design-based interventions that materialise from the use of policy as a crucial medium of exploration, in this case for future models of housing-supply innovation. These explorations aim to stimulate meaningful policy and design debates about just-city making, while concurrently serving as a strategic countermeasure to the detrimental consequences of advancing gentrification and related market forces. This research offers a transformative examination of urban housing in the United States and Harlem, challenging traditional perspectives and practices, and advocating for more equitable spatial distribution and opportunities.

Type: Article
Title: Towards design reparations: remedying urban morphologies through policy reform in Harlem, New York
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.14324/111.444.amps.2024v28i1.003
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.amps.2024v28i1.00...
Language: English
Additional information: © 2024, Shawn Rickenbacker. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY) 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Keywords: urban policy, zoning, spatial justice, housing discrimination, gentrification, reparations, architecture
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10195259
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