Housing, Neighbourhood and Region
Housing inequalities and injustices are an important strand of our social justice activities.
We investigate inequalities and injustices associated with specific neighbourhoods, communities, cities or regions. Much of our work focuses on the North East but we also explore such issues in a diverse range of international contexts.
The disposal of social housing is contributing to a serious crisis in the UK.
Over one million people are on a housing waiting list. Homelessness is rising sharply. At the same time, the stock of social housing in England is shrinking.
A research project in County Durham has uncovered the disposal of social housing on the open market. The disposal took place after decades of under-investment and promises to improve the properties. There was no consultation with residents. The sell-off was against the stated wishes of the Residents Association, the County Council, and the local MP.
- A social justice story: read more about housing injustice
A five-year research project on inequalities in access to social capital across different neighbourhoods of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Newcastle residents from different neighbourhoods have very unequal access to economic capital. But quality of life isn’t solely reliant on how much money you have. Social capital consists of subtle, distributed resources, such as helpful neighbours and not feeling threatened when moving about your local area.
Professor Daniel Nettle and his colleagues used multiple methods to explore how social life differs from one part of Newcastle to another.
- A social justice story: read more about Tyneside neighbourhoods
Shieling is a proposed community research hub. It is located in the inner-city neighbourhood of Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne.
The hub will explore alternative community-led development and activism. It will investigate locally rooted and ecological forms of architecture in inner-city areas. It will examine the politics of land and community activism in an area that has experienced the negative effects of large-scale urban development and tokenistic consultation.
Shieling is a collaborative venture between:
- Dwellbeing, a community research group
- Shieldfield Artworks (SAW), a local arts organisation and formerly The Holy Biscuit
A project connecting people and common land
Shieldfield was once a ‘shieling’ ground, where people would graze their livestock in the summer months. A ‘shieling’ is a hut or bothy, where they would stay during this period. Shieling thus evokes a sense of connection between people and common land.
The scoping and design period took place between February and Summer 2019. Researchers examined the potential for ecological and reclaimed materials and building processes. These processes are conducive to participation and challenge consumption-production norms.
Following this, the project examines how architecture can be reflective of place. We consider how it can act as a vehicle to reclaim contentious urban space. This action is collective, occurring through participatory design-making processes.
A community study day
The scoping phase started with a community study day at Shieldfield Art Works. This brought together community members, academics, activists, councillors and council officers, architects and planners.
The day featured presentations from community organisers and activists. These presenters have a wide range of experience of building and sustaining community spaces. The day also included discussions, walks, a shared meal, poetry, and testimony from Shieldfield residents.
Workshops followed the study day. Together, they provide us with a rich starting point. We can now move forward with the design and programming of a community space as a site for political organising.
For Khaltouma, a local resident from Sudan, the project symbolises the finding of meaning, not in what can be bought and sold, but in deep connections with fellow community members.
“It's getting the community back together and getting that fighting spirit back up, to try to make things happen.” – Sheryl, local resident
- Alison Merritt Smith is an art producer and researcher, as well as director of The Holy Biscuit, an arts organisation in Shieldfield, Newcastle
- Dr Julia Heslop is an artist and Postdoctoral Fellow in Architecture
- Hannah Marsden is an artist and PhD student in Media, Culture and Heritage