Clearly written and meticulously researched, the book gives readers a rare inside look at Chicago's mixed-income developments and, in doing so, powerfully argues that mixed-income redevelopment is not the integrationist solution for curing urban poverty that it is often said to be. . . . Fascinating and timely, a must-read for those concerned with public policy and affordable housing.
South ... Read moreSide Weekly An ambitious, provocative book on the subject of what the authors call contrived integration. The aim is to expose the complications of an 'integrationist agenda'
that is, the effort to integrate people of varying incomes in mixed-income housing developments. . . . The authors' bottom line is that whatever benefits have been garnered
and there have been some
they do not outweigh the costs. The shift to market rate, mixed-income development essentially squandered limited public funds that might have been used to house more people in need.
American Journal of Sociology Chaskin and Joseph explore the nature of social interaction and relationships among residents having different income and racial/ethnic backgrounds, observe tensions between integration and exclusion and poverty and development, argue that these mixed-income communities reproduce marginality and alienation, and conclude that a market-driven approach to public housing reform has led to physical improvements but has not brought major socioeconomic advantages to mixed-income communities. The authors suggest several actions that may contribute to better social integration, social mobility, and communities that are more inclusive. This volume makes an outstanding contribution to public housing policy, community development, and urban studies. Highly recommended.
Choice [Chaskin and Joseph's] richly detailed, thoroughly researched work contributes substantially and enduringly to readers interested in urban sociology, urban planning, social inequality, public housing, antipoverty policies, marketplace ideologies, and the application of mixed-methods research to policy analysis.
International Sociology Integrating the Inner City provides a valuable, yet cautionary, tale about the current zeitgeist in public housing reform. . . . Chaskin and Joseph have produced a highly important work that adds greatly to our understanding of the benefits, limitations, and complex challenges involved in undertaking public housing reform. From a broader perspective, the book's focus on the role of housing as a platform for poverty reduction is in line with growing academic interest in this topic.
Social Service Review Integrating the Inner City rises above politics, profit-motives, and moralizing and offers a real look at how mixed-income communities are working and not working for the people who live in them. Chaskin and Joseph give us a rigorously empirical account of the translation of theory into practice, and the story is a sobering one. The buildings are new and the streets are safer, but poor residents still experience considerable social stigma and economic fragility. Meticulously researched, accessibly written, and powerfully argued, this book should guide public housing policy and our approach to racial and class integration for decades to come.
Mary Pattillo, author of Black on the Block: The Politics of Race and Class in the City Integrating the Inner City is the first serious, empirically based, book-length analysis of mixed-income housing and is destined to become the leading study in its field for years to come. Drawing on exceptional research, Chaskin and Joseph carefully ground the book in theory while providing rich data to support their arguments along the way. Few works have examined life inside public mixed-income communities, making this book a valuable addition that will be highly sought after by the many people concerned with affordable housing.
D. Bradford Hunt, author of Blueprint for Disaster: The Unraveling of Chicago Public Housing Integrating the Inner City stands out because it does an outstanding job in providing an in-depth and comprehensive look at how mixed-income public housing reform is actually playing out in real places. Six years of fieldwork have produced a stellar product.
Journal of the American Planning Association Chaskin and Joseph's study of the promises and the limitations of The Chicago Plan for Transformation, the largest attempt at mixed-income public housing reform in the US, reveals a challenge that many urban planners do not foresee
the continued economic and social marginalization of the poor families who gain a place in mixed-income developments. Integrating the Inner City not only combines compelling data, based on six years of in-depth field research, and considerate theoretical arguments to describe and explain the problem of economic and social integration in these developments, it also suggests several positive actions that might be taken to address it. Chaskin and Joseph's impressive study is a must-read.
William Julius Wilson author of The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, The Underclass, and Public Policy Show Less