A Research Agenda for Housing
Edited by Markus Moos
Abstract
A confluence of societal changes, such as stagnant incomes, a resurgence in demand for living in cities, and resistance to building new housing, has resulted in worsening housing affordability in North America. ‘Sharing’ in housing hearkens back to a previous era, the Gilded Age, that saw even more dramatic societal changes. Recently, ‘apps’ such as Airbnb have captured the imagination of the general public because they help ‘make a market’ in heretofore obscure sharing arrangements. Such efforts fall into two categories: using existing living space more intensively, as with Airbnb, and adding living space, such as via Accessory Dwelling Units. In this chapter it is argued that the first category of efforts has limited potential for social equity gains, because their usability is so limited by household type, socioeconomic status and location. Efforts in the second category fall short because they address less urgent problems of design and construction technology rather than the true barriers of land-use regulation. Possibilities probably exist for apps to facilitate sharing in housing, but they will require a pairing of technological innovation with human empathy, and will therefore be unlikely to ‘scale’ at a rapid rate.
You are not authenticated to view the full text of this chapter or article.
Elgaronline requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books or journals. Please login through your library system or with your personal username and password on the homepage.
Non-subscribers can freely search the site, view abstracts/ extracts and download selected front matter and introductory chapters for personal use.
Your library may not have purchased all subject areas. If you are authenticated and think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.