‘Social Mix’ as ‘Sustainability Fix’? Exploring Social Sustainability in the French Suburbs

Abstract

The French suburbs, or banlieues, have long been associated with marginalization and peripheralization, characterized by unemployment, a high proportion of ethnic minority populations and low education attainment levels. Since 2000, the ‘crisis’ of the banlieue has been addressed through a policy of ‘social mixing’ which aims to promote mixed communities in certain neighbourhoods, to dilute the ‘problematic elements’ of the suburbs. This ‘social sustainability fix’ however has had mixed results. Questions can be raised over whether a policy based on increasing a neighbourhood’s social mix is an appropriate sustainability fix for the suburbs, and whether it has actually resulted in the outcomes that were intended. Rather than encouraging social integration, it is argued here that the policy of social mixing reinforces segregation and has done little to tackle inequalities and social exclusion. We suggest that there are alternative solutions to the challenges of fostering social sustainability in the suburbs, which could be implemented in partnership with citizens and neighbourhoodbased groups (associations) that would be more effective in addressing social sustainability solutions in the future.

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“…This shift is also reflected in its housing policy, with its long-standing commitment to increasing minority choice being watered down by desegregationist overtones (Phillips, 2010: 213; Ratcliffe, 2004: 59). Similar trends can be seen in France’s mixing policies in the banlieues (Carpenter, 2018: 29; Machline et al, 2020: 36) and Denmark’s ‘No ghettos in 2030’-plan (Silver and Danielowski, 2019: 26), which includes restricting the mobility of specific communities, and even tearing down their housing (Walks, 2020: 403–404). Therefore, dispersal policies are set to become an integral part of urban governance throughout metropolitan Europe.…”

Misrecognition in a Sustainability Capital: Race, Representation, and Transportation Survey Response Rates in the Portland Metropolitan Area

“…In addition, similar to (un)sustainable development projects in Portland, "social mixing" policies in France's suburban banlieues have been accused of being social sustainability "fixes" that offer new modes of capital accumulation rather than achieving their aim of reducing poverty and promoting diversified housing stocks [103]. Research also suggests that social mixing policies in France have the veneer of urban harmony, but only marginally help working-and middle-class communities, and mostly work to isolate ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged populations [104].…”

“…Research also suggests that social mixing policies in France have the veneer of urban harmony, but only marginally help working-and middle-class communities, and mostly work to isolate ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged populations [104]. Further, Carpenter [103] argues that the priority given to demolition over rehabilitation of marginalized spaces undermines the social sustainability of racial and ethnic communities. These French policies are analogous to urban renewal and "sustainability" projects that have been used to destroy and displace Black and other POC communities-such as Albina in earlier times and as is becoming manifest in East Portland [24,56,58,85]-in an effort to reduce poverty and promote economic growth, "green" investments, and ecological sustainability.…”

Neighbourhood Social Sustainability, Urban Renewal, and Health Inequalities

“…"However,inmanycountries,urbanization conveysinequalityandexclusion,creatingcitiesanddwellingscharacterizedbypoverty,overcrowded conditions,poorhousing,severepollution,andabsenceofbasicservicessuchaswaterandsanitation. Slumsinlargecitiesoftenhaveanabsenceofschools,transportation,healthcentres,recreational facilities,andotheramenities (Sampson,2017;Krefisetal.,2018).Additionally,thepersistenceof certainconditions,suchaspoverty,ethnicheterogeneity,andhighpopulationturnover,contributesto aloweredabilityofindividualsandcommunitiestocontrolcrime,vandalism,andviolence (Sengupta &Mukherjee,2018).Thesocialvulnerabilityinhealthisnotanaturalorpredefinedconditionbut occursbecauseoftheunequalsocialcontextthatsurroundsthedailylifeofthedisadvantaged,and often,sociallyexcludedgroups (Sengupta&Mukherjee,2018;Carpenter,2018).Socialexclusionof individualsandgroupsisamajorthreattodevelopment,whethertothecommunitysocialcohesionand economicprosperityortotheindividualself-realizationthroughlackofrecognitionandacceptance, [aswellas]powerlessness,economicvulnerability,illhealth,diminishedlifeexperiences,andlimited life prospects (Carpenter, 2018). In contrast, social inclusion is seen to be vital to the material, psychosocialandpoliticalaspectsofempowermentthatunderpinsocialwell-beingandequitable health.Forinstance,WeingaertnerandMobergarguethattheabilityofcitiestosustainandpromote goodqualityoflifefortheircitizensis,perhaps,aresultoftherealizationthattherapidpaceof urbanizationworldwideprovideschallengesandopportunitiesforpromotingamoresustainablepattern ofdevelopment (Weingaertner&Moberg,2014).Initiallytheinterpretationsofsustainabilityinthe contextofcitiesfocusedonanarrowerecologicalperspective (Blowers&Pain,1999).Thisapproach ledtoafocusontheminimizationofpollution,depletionofenergyandotherresources,andadverse effectsonthelivingenvironment.Forinstance,earlydebatesonasustainablecitywereassociated withefficientsolidwastemanagementandrecycling,reducedcardependencyandgreateruseof alternativemodesoftransport(i.e.acitythatwasabletolimititsecologicalfootprint) (Bromley& Tallon,2005).However,currentlyitisrecognizedthatissuessuchassocialcohesion,culturalvalues, economicstabilityandgrowth,accesstoemployment,servicesandeducation,healthandwell-being areallveryrelevanttoacommunity'sdailylife (Swyngedouw&Cook,2012).…”