Despite its imprecision, social capital is a powerful tool for examining how and why particular forms of social interaction lead to the health and well-being of communities, organisations, and even businesses. Community cohesion as a policy prescription emerged in the UK, following the social disturbances in certain northern cities and towns in the summer of 2001. The official reports into these disturbances identified lack of social interaction between different ethnic groups as a principal cause. Furthermore, social housing was seen as a key factor that could be used to prevent future disturbances. Accordingly, this research focuses on how the assets and forms of social capital act as good predictors of community cohesion, in the context of the New Labour government¿s aim to use social housing to build cohesive communities. Unless otherwise specified, references to ¿the government¿ throughout this thesis apply to the New Labour administration that came to power in the UK on 2nd May 1997 and ended with the Coalition administration led by the Conservatives on 11th May 2010. This thesis makes use of the linearity between the goals of social capital and the policy aims of community cohesion to match forms of social capital to specific forms of social interaction, in six selected social housing schemes in Bradford. Bradford was one of the cities affected by the disturbances in 2001. Analysis of the forms of social interaction in the case study housing schemes shows that bridging and linking forms of social capital, which could lead to enduring cohesive communities, were mainly latent in the schemes. This suggests that the peaceful co-existence in the case study housing schemes today is, possibly, postponed social conflict in the long term.

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The city of Curitiba in southern Brazil is considered to be the cradle of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Curitiba has a population of around 1.9 million people and has a higher development index than Brazil in general. A master plan approved in the middle of the 1960’s has guided development of the city in a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) direction by zoning for high development densities close to the five BRT trunk lines in so-called structural axes. This thesis aimed at performing a spatiotemporal and statistical analysis of property development in Curitiba, to examine if the BRT system could have been a motivator for property development, and if so, to what extent. Spatial data including for instance a database of building permits, population densities, social housing locations and cost of land were used in the analysis. The analysis was divided into three themes to examine property development from three perspectives; Timing of Development, Density of Development and Social Housing Inclusion. Results for the entire BRT system showed that a greater “time lag” of property development following BRT development also meant that the property in question was located further away from a BRT line, suggesting that areas close to the BRT were popular. The individual lines showed different effects of timing of development, relating to the heterogenic surroundings and the characteristics of the time periods when the BRT was implemented. High development densities are found in the structural corridors, but high population densities are not only found there but also in areas in the South and Southwest parts of Curitiba. These areas coincide with areas of social housing, which historically has been planned in areas not served by the trunk lines of the BRT system. The conclusion of the thesis is that the BRT system certainly has been a motivator for property development, and that TOD planning with thoughtful zoning can be a powerful tool to direct property development. In order to counteract urban segregation, strategies for including social housing in the structural axes must be implemented.

No / Smart Sustainable Cities (SSC) consist of multiple stakeholders, who must cooperate in order for SSCs to be successful. Housing is an important challenge and in many cities, therefore, a key stakeholder are social housing organisations. This paper introduces a qualitative case study of a social housing provider in the UK who implemented a business intelligence project (a method to assess data networks within an organisation) to increase data quality and data interoperability. Our analysis suggests that creating pathways for different information systems within an organisation to ‘talk to’ each other is the first step. Some of the issues during the project implementation include the lack of training and development, organisational reluctance to change, and the lack of a project plan. The challenges faced by the organisation during this project can be helpful for those implementing SSCs. Currently, many SSC frameworks and models exist, yet most seem to neglect localised challenges faced by the different stak

With starting point in current housing policy debates in Sweden, where the deregulated rental market in Finland is used as an example of a better functioning housing market, this thesis aims to investigate if this image is shared by the Finnish experts in rental housing related questions. Based on eight semi-structured interviews, the precarious living conditions on the Finnish rental housing market are revealed and discussed in relation to the theoretical framework of housing inequality. Finland’s market liberal approach to housing provision has created good conditions for investing in housing that is reflected on the supply of rental housing on the private sector. Rental apartments on this sector are small, referred to as ‘tube studios’ and ‘suicide studios’, unaffordable for many, and the legal framework provides little security for the tenants causing uncertainty about the future. Furthermore, a number of reforms are currently being carried out to decrease state support in providing affordable housing and access to social housing, referred to as ARA-housing, is to be limited for the worst-off population. In light of these results this thesis aims to provide an alternative image to the market dominated discourse and argues that behind the numbers of constructed units and vacancy rates, a wide range of precarious housing conditions exist. This precarity affects first and foremost residents on private sector and is expected to become a bigger issue and impact a greater number of people in the future when the political reforms currently under way are rolled out.

Social housing can play a large role for both the UK and global agenda to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Political and industry efforts to promote sustainability in social housing in England are sparse, despite a plethora of existing research. One reason for this might be the lack of integration of different actors and elements in social housing. This study aims to fill this gap by developing a theoretical framework that can help different actor groups involved in social housing in England identify connections and transition to sustainability. The framework is developed and validated using a mixed methods iterative approach, including a Delphi study to begin with. Results are validated using interviews and document search and analysed by using discourse analysis. Results indicate that the social housing system consists of six actor groups who all have different interpretations of sustainability. External pressures on the system consist mainly of central government policies. Niche innovations have not broken through to the system yet. Powerful actors consist of the construction and finance industry, who influence central government in terms of policy making. Power is closely aligned with financialisation of housing. Comparing results to research on transition pathways for sustainability, no such transitions can be observed in the social housing system. This study represents a first attempt to develop a theoretical framework where social housing is conceptualised as a system, investigating its key change processes. Recommendations are defined for key stakeholder groups regarding the relevance of the framework to investigate pathways for a transition to sustainable housing.

A criação do Ministério das Cidades, em 2003, veio preencher a lacuna deixada pela extinção do Banco Nacional de Habitação (BNH), em 1986, como órgão nacional encarregado de pensar políticas para as principais questões relacionadas às aglomerações urbanas: o desenvolvimento urbano, a habitação, o saneamento ambiental e o transporte e mobilidade urbanos, buscando incorporar os instrumentos trazidos pelo Estatuto da Cidade para o planejamento urbano. Para aderir ao novo Sistema Nacional de Habitação implantado pelo Ministério, Estados, Municípios e Distrito Federal precisavam cumprir determinadas obrigações a fim de acessar os recursos do Fundo Nacional de Habitação de Interesse Social. Também em 2003, foi criada a Fundação de Desenvolvimento Habitacional de Fortaleza (HABITAFOR), posteriormente transformada em secretaria municipal, que passou a conduzir as ações habitacionais no município, com a implantação de intervenções bastante distintas pela cidade, especialmente no que se refere ao tipo, porte de cada uma. Nesse contexto, a pesquisa aqui apresentada objetiva analisar o impacto da atuação do Ministério das Cidades na política municipal de habitação de interesse social em Fortaleza-CE, visando identificar o reflexo das diretrizes por ele estabelecidas nas intervenções promovidas pelo município. Para isso, resgatamos o processo histórico de constituição da HABITAFOR, partindo do período de redemocratização do Brasil, e recorremos a uma análise de inserção urbana para dois estudos de caso, a intervenção Maravilha e o conjunto habitacional Maria Tomásia. / The creation of the Ministry of Cities in 2003, filled the gap left by the extinction of the National Housing Bank in 1986 as the national institution responsible for planning policies about the main issues related to urban agglomerations: urban development, housing, environmental sanitation and transportation and urban mobility, seeking to incorporate the instruments brought by the City Statute for urban planning. To join the new National Housing System implemented by the Ministry, States, Municipalities and the Federal District needed to fulfill certain obligations in order to access the resources of the National Social Housing Fund. Also in 2003, was created the Foundation for the Housing Development of Fortaleza (HABITAFOR), later transformed into a municipal secretary, which began to conduct housing actions in the municipality, implementing quite distinct interventions through out the city. In this context, this research aims to analyze the impact of the Ministry of Cities in the municipal policy of social housing in Fortaleza-CE, pursuing to identify the reflex of the guidelines established by it over the interventions promoted by the municipality. Therefore, we rescued the HABITAFOR\'s historic process of constitution, beggining from the period of Brazil\'s redemocratization, and peformed an analysis of urban insertion for two case studies, the Maravilha\'s intervention and the housing complex Maria Tomasia.

A criação do Ministério das Cidades, em 2003, veio preencher a lacuna deixada pela extinção do Banco Nacional de Habitação (BNH), em 1986, como órgão nacional encarregado de pensar políticas para as principais questões relacionadas às aglomerações urbanas: o desenvolvimento urbano, a habitação, o saneamento ambiental e o transporte e mobilidade urbanos, buscando incorporar os instrumentos trazidos pelo Estatuto da Cidade para o planejamento urbano. Para aderir ao novo Sistema Nacional de Habitação implantado pelo Ministério, Estados, Municípios e Distrito Federal precisavam cumprir determinadas obrigações a fim de acessar os recursos do Fundo Nacional de Habitação de Interesse Social. Também em 2003, foi criada a Fundação de Desenvolvimento Habitacional de Fortaleza (HABITAFOR), posteriormente transformada em secretaria municipal, que passou a conduzir as ações habitacionais no município, com a implantação de intervenções bastante distintas pela cidade, especialmente no que se refere ao tipo, porte de cada uma. Nesse contexto, a pesquisa aqui apresentada objetiva analisar o impacto da atuação do Ministério das Cidades na política municipal de habitação de interesse social em Fortaleza-CE, visando identificar o reflexo das diretrizes por ele estabelecidas nas intervenções promovidas pelo município. Para isso, resgatamos o processo histórico de constituição da HABITAFOR, partindo do período de redemocratização do Brasil, e recorremos a uma análise de inserção urbana para dois estudos de caso, a intervenção Maravilha e o conjunto habitacional Maria Tomásia. / The creation of the Ministry of Cities in 2003, filled the gap left by the extinction of the National Housing Bank in 1986 as the national institution responsible for planning policies about the main issues related to urban agglomerations: urban development, housing, environmental sanitation and transportation and urban mobility, seeking to incorporate the instruments brought by the City Statute for urban planning. To join the new National Housing System implemented by the Ministry, States, Municipalities and the Federal District needed to fulfill certain obligations in order to access the resources of the National Social Housing Fund. Also in 2003, was created the Foundation for the Housing Development of Fortaleza (HABITAFOR), later transformed into a municipal secretary, which began to conduct housing actions in the municipality, implementing quite distinct interventions through out the city. In this context, this research aims to analyze the impact of the Ministry of Cities in the municipal policy of social housing in Fortaleza-CE, pursuing to identify the reflex of the guidelines established by it over the interventions promoted by the municipality. Therefore, we rescued the HABITAFOR\'s historic process of constitution, beggining from the period of Brazil\'s redemocratization, and peformed an analysis of urban insertion for two case studies, the Maravilha\'s intervention and the housing complex Maria Tomasia.

The lack of smart resources management and servicescape strategies within the social housing sector in the late 1970s influenced the rise of successive Governments to consider the restructuring of the traditional ‘cumbersome’ Local Authority based structures and approaches toward more ‘enterprise focussed’ management organisations (Sharp & Jones 2012). This change in central Government policy encouraged Local Authorities to assign through outsourcing their housing stock (including associated asset management services) as part of a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) via a process of compulsory competitive tendering to Housing Associations and/or set up Housing Trusts to increase the accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness of social housing and healthcare provision in the local community. As part of this modernisation process, all social housing and community care providers (also known as ‘Registered Social Landlords’ - RSLs) became subject to statutory audits, inspections and regulation, and performance management, to ensure the service quality delivery requirements. More recently, however, changes in the legislative framework have introduced choice-based letting policy, putting the customer first, service delivery and additionally RSLs are required to act as ‘Corporate Social Landlords’. These changes have focused RSLs attention on the need to sharpen service responsiveness, especially in the area of housing maintenance management (DETR 2000). Previous research (Holmes 1985; Spedding 1990; Johnston 1993; Stewart & Stoker 1995; Olubodun 1996, 2000, 2001; Sagoo et al. 1996; El-Haram & Horner 2002; Kangwa & Olubodun 2003, 2005; Boussabaine & Kirkham 2004; Jones & Cooper 2007; Prowle 2009; Babangida et al. 2012) has mainly concentrated on analysing maintenance management factors at the micro level; developing maintenance models and framework design for operational level. However, in the social housing sector, there have been no studies undertaken to date that have been focused on housing maintenance strategies – for example, how this is formulated, the key drivers of change and the impact on customer orientated service delivery. The purpose of this study is to identify the critical factors that drive the decision-making process in order to formulate responsive housing maintenance strategies and to develop a decision support model to improve customer service delivery of social housing provision. Research methodology Through a process of qualitative case study, pilot questionnaire surveys, workshops and qualitative in-depth interviews, the research has identified how the housing maintenance strategies are formulated and how social housing providers could enhance customer service delivery. The study comprised four phases in order to reflect the key objectives of the research. The first phase comprised a review of literature on social housing provision in the UK, identifying relevant changes in the legislative framework, an assessment of the challenges faced by RSLs and the key factors influencing performance of social housing provision. This phase also included undertaking a case study based on five different RSLs to examine the ‘real problems’ as to how and to what extent RSLs have adopted their organisation in order to meet the changes and challenges which they now face. The second phase investigated the key service factors impacting on housing maintenance strategy design and development through the use of a pilot study questionnaire directed to the asset managers (participating in the survey) and also included a selection of end users of the services (tenants). This phase identified the differences between the perceptions of service providers and the expectations of the service users. A key feature of this phase entailed conducting a workshop to disseminate findings of the pilot study. The workshop also formed a basis for ‘in-depth’ discussions for identifying the key factors, their descriptions, their interactions with each other, their inter-relationships with the tenant type, and their combined impact on formulating responsive housing maintenance strategy. The third phase of the study entailed eliciting qualitative data from the participants using the Repertory Grid (RG) ‘in-depth’ interview technique - a psychology tool in order to gain a deeper understanding of the core important ‘constructs’ and sub-constructs, their characteristics, their inter-relationships in the design and development of effective housing asset maintenance strategies. The fourth phase of this study entailed the development of a decision support system and the qualitative validation of the relationships found to exist between the constructs examined in phase three together with the testing of the model over a period of two months with four of the participating social housing providers. Findings The key findings arising from this research suggest that the design and development of value for money maintenance strategies within the public housing sector, are not solely based on physical factors related to the age, condition, location, construction type for example, but rather it was found that the majority of the asset management decisions made, were dependent upon a multivariate of key factors. The study identified 52 key factors, which when grouped together formed seven key cluster (Customer risk factors, Asset manager risk factors, Tenancy risk factors, Neighbourhood and community sustainability risk factors, Financial and economic risk factors, continuous service improvement risk factors and corporate risk factors) which are both ‘unique’ and ‘novel’ and are identified as having a direct influence on the formulation of housing maintenance strategy. These factors should not be considered in isolation and are more akin to the business success factors. The business ‘Balanced Scorecard’ (BSC) was evaluated and used as the basis for a ‘best fit’ model which was tested against four RSL to confirm its validity and its appropriateness. The responses obtained from these trials has indicated that the BSC provides a working tool capable of enhancing RSL organisational capabilities and service delivery effectiveness but also able to incorporate customer views regarding service delivery. This research makes major contributions to the existing limited pool of knowledge relating to strategic asset management within social housing sector and in addition, provides an insight into how housing maintenance strategy can be developed to incorporate feedback from customers (tenants) regarding the quality and responsive service delivery. The research also demonstrates the potential value of the BSC approach to the management tool capable of generating a competitive edge in line with government policy which is currently directed towards encouraging RSLs to adopt a commercial business approach to their operations. The research also demonstrates that the adoption of a decision support system in the form of BSC has the potential to provide useful assistance to RSLs intending to move away from the traditional public sector approaches to management (a more private sector orientated) approach to their operations. The research also shows that asset managers experience little difficulty in understanding the principles behind the BSC approach and its application. In addition, the cascading effect of BSC in housing maintenance strategy means that the strategy can be converted into measurable actions at the operational levels thereby providing a direct link between strategy and its implementation. Due to the absence of suitable benchmarking data, score rating derived from the RG were adopted by asset managers. This approach was found to be highly sensitive in assessing service delivery constructs.