Ulduz Maschaykh: The changing image of affordable housing: design, gentrification and community in Canada and Europe

This book takes an architectural perspective towards understanding the challenge of housing affordability in cities. It is primarily focused on British Columbia, Canada, with a few brief case studies in Europe. The author’s main argument is that: ‘[A]rchitecture can play a pivotal role in diminishing social imbalances and giving people from a broader range of backgrounds a sense of identity and belonging. In this regards, buildings can influence wider social and political changes’ (p. 9). Chapter one provides a thorough review of the main literature on gentrification. Maschaykh describes four theories in good detail: Smith’s rent-gap, Florida’s creative class, David Ley’s middle-class aesthetic and the trend towards mixed-income communities. One of the best parts of this book is when she provides cultural references from television, books and movies to illustrate each theory. What is missing, however, is an analysis or interpretation of the relationship between gentrification and the lack of affordable housing. The author’s position on gentrification is never fully articulated and chapter one reviews, rather than frames the author’s position in the literature. She writes of gentrification: ‘[W]hen a city’s value increases and draws wealthy residents and investors into rundown neighbourhoods, these enclaves experience a process of revitalization that is known as ‘gentrification.’ Architecture plays an important part in the gentrification process. This is most evident in buildings that stand out from the rest because of their history’ (p. 2). Exactly what role architecture plays is not clear. Does it stimulate or reduce gentrification and if so, how? Is this good for cities; if so why? To make a strong contribution to the gentrification debate, such questions needed further analysis and elaboration. Empirically, the book deals with some insightful case studies. Part one focuses on Europe, with chapter two examining early twentieth Century affordable housing in Vienna and Germany. Examples such as Vienna’s Karl-Marx-Hof are described in detail. In chapter three, the focus shifts towards contemporary ‘super-gentrification’ in Berlin.