Glasgow’s Changing World, Zeal To Knock Down Existing Social Housing Continues

A huge cloud of dust rises from the remains of a demolished high rise building
This scene was created by affordablehousingaction.org and is licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

In spite of clear evidence that some or all knocked down social housing is never replaced in redevelopments…1

In spite of new accounting that forces social housing knockdown plans to factor in the energy costs of demolition…2

In spite of renowned architects in more enlightened countries that have made lifetime careers proving that housing can be effectively refurbished…3

In spite of international evidence that refurbishment can offer long term savings…4

In spite of local architects who argue the public’s interest in refurbishing against their own interest in picking up new building design work… (see the following article)

Council in the city of Glasgow, Scotland is making the same tired arguments. There will be no real attempts to test the brave new world of ‘green’ energy cost accounting. Instead, the last few neoliberal decades of deliberately scuppering community responsibility for social housing will continue unabated. As usual, ‘it’s just too expensive to refurbish social housing.’

Yeah, sure. Is that what your build-anew-buddies tell you?

Read more in Architect’s Journal: Architects fight demolition of Glasgow high-rises

Footnotes

  1. Try: The Life And Death Cabrini-Green Public Housing Projects, 25 Years On
  2. Try: Does Australian Accounting End A ‘Kick Public Housing Down’ Era?
  3. Try: Public Housing, “Reverence For Pre-Existing Structures” Captures Architecture’s Top Prize
  4. Try: Is EnerPHit the Future of Affordable Housing?