Sonia Alves

Poles Apart? A Comparative Study of Housing Policies and Outcomes in Portugal and Denmark

Abstract Remarkable differences in housing policies and dominant forms of tenure can be observed across countries. To what extent are these differences dictated by major vested interests, and explained by ideology in the context of broader political and socio-economic circumstances? Assuming that the comparison between northern and southern European countries has been largely neglected in comparative housing literature, by using the Danish and Portuguese cases I test Kemeny’s typology of rental systems to explain the divergence between these two housing realities. The empirical evidence presented in this paper emphasizes the relevance of Kemeny’s theories in explaining many of the divergent features of these housing systems, but suggests some adjustments, based upon the differences between Kemeny’s theories of dualist rental systems and what was found in the Portuguese case, which aim to expand its explanatory power.

Assessing the impact of area-based initiatives in deprived neighborhoods: The example of S. João de Deus in Porto, Portugal

ABSTRACT Though there have been many area-based initiatives to regenerate rundown areas in numerous cities around the world, many of them involving the demolition of stigmatized housing estates, far fewer attempts have been made to assess the effects of these initiatives upon the fortunes of displaced households and those who remain in these areas. By presenting the results of an empirical in-depth case study on the effects of an area-based initiative targeted at one of the most deprived neighborhoods in Porto, this article raises several epistemological concerns related to the goals, ideological assumptions, and social and spatial effects of these initiatives. Among other interrelated issues, the article discusses the impact of conflicting ideologies upon processes of radical strategy shift and of social and territorial marginalization and appeals to the need for more pluralistic approaches to evaluation.

Urban rehabilitation, governance, and housing affordability: lessons from Portugal

ABSTRACT This paper examines the role of ‘urban rehabilitation societies’, a legal and institutional framework launched by the Portuguese government in 2004 and implemented locally ever since. The paper discusses how this model has provided an alibi for neoliberal narratives, grounded on the virtues of the market and on market-oriented strategies. The research methodology uses a combination of qualitative documentary analysis and face-to-face interviews with government officials and public officers to scrutinize the effects of policies on issues of governance and housing affordability.

Requalification and gentrification in the historical centre of Porto

As deficiencias nao ultrapassadas sao da responsabilidade do autor que agradece ainda o apoio da Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, atraves da Bolsa de Investigacao com a referencia SFRH / BPD / 75863 / 2011, financiada pelo POPH - QREN - Tipologia 4.1 - Formacao Avancada, comparticipado pelo Fundo Social Europeu e por fundos nacionais do MEC