The Spatial Politics of Diversity Discourses: Regenerating Croydon Metropolitan Centre
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Published:
Apr 29, 2017
Keywords:
Diversity, Discourses, Planning, Regeneration, London
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Abstract
Discourses on diversity are increasingly criticised in many fields of public policy. This study draws on the example of regeneration in the Centre of Croydon, a diverse outer-London borough, in order to explore the role of diversity discourses in the imagination and creation of new urban spaces. A framework put forward by Fincher and Iveson (2008) is utilised, who contend that any local effort to plan for diversity should follow the norms recognition, redistribution and encounter. It is argued that questions on recognition are largely absent in the regeneration of Croydon Metropolitan Centre, and redistribution is discursively substituted by an individualised focus on economic opportunities. As such, discourses provide particular sets of rationalities about the influence and scope of planning as well as the imagination of new urban spaces. Nevertheless, counter common criticism, discussions and contestations about inequality are clearly on the agenda in Croydon. Top-down framings of diversity are contested and especially the strong politicisation of encounters between socio-economic groups provides the potential to develop alternative forms of socially oriented planning.
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ÖzogulS. (2017). The Spatial Politics of Diversity Discourses: Regenerating Croydon Metropolitan Centre. UPLanD - Journal of Urban Planning, Landscape & Environmental Design, 2(1), 57-65. https://doi.org/10.6093/2531-9906/5140
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Thrift, N. (2005). But Malice Aforethought: Cities and the Natural History of Hatred. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 30(2), 133–150.
Titley, G., & Lentin, A. (2008). The Politics of Diversity in Europe. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
Andrew, M. (2006). Learning to Love (The State) Again?: Money, Legitimacy and Community Sector Politics. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 41(3), 313-326.
Baeten, G. (2012). Neoliberal Planning: Does It Really Exist? In T. Tasan-Kok & G. Baeten (eds.), Contradictions of Neoliberal Planning (pp.205–211). Dordrecht: Springer.
Beebeejaun, Y. (2012). Including the Excluded? Changing the Understandings of Ethnicity in Contemporary English Planning. Planning Theory & Practice, 13(4), 529–548.
Coaffee, J., & Fussey, P. (2015). Constructing resilience through security and surveillance: The politics, practices and tensions of security-driven resilience. Security Dialogue, 46(1), 86–105.
Cooper, D. (2004). Challenging Diversity: Rethinking Equality and the Value of Difference. Cambridge University Press.
Croydon Council (2014a). Old Town Masterplan. Retrieved from goo.gl/PGCkOz.
Croydon Council (2014b). The Croydon Promise – Growth for all. Retrieved from goo.gl/pSu2Xj.
Croydon Council (2013a). Croydon Opportunity Area Planning Framework. Retrieved from goo.gl/TqaTLh.
Croydon Council (2013b). Croydon Local Plan: Detailed Policies and Proposals. Retrieved from goo.gl/NsmXp6
Croydon Council (2012a). Croydon Public Realm Design Guide. Retrieved from goo.gl/fxnzcu.
Croydon Council (2012b). Mid Croydon Masterplan. Retrieved from goo.gl/dgXbN2.
Croydon Council (2012c). Croydon Council Equality Strategy 2012-2016. Retrieved from goo.gl/C2zrlS.
Davies, G. (2015, 1 June). Croydon Old Town regeneration leaves some groups and businesses feeling 'left out'. Croydon Advertiser. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/XeIcZm.
Fraser, N. (2000). Rethinking Recognition. New Left Review, (3), 107–120.
Galster, G. (2007). Neighbourhood Social Mix as a Goal of Housing Policy: A Theoretical Analysis. European Journal of Housing Policy, 7(1), 19–43.
Greater London Authority (2007). Planning for equality and diversity in London: supplementary planning guidance to the London Plan. London: Greater London Authority.
Holman, N., & Thornley, A. (2015). Backlash in the London suburbs: the local strategic tension in multilevel governance. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 33 (3), 496-511.
Imrie, R., Lees, L., & Raco, M. (2009). Regenerating London: Governance, Sustainability and Community in a Global City. London: Routledge.
Inside Croydon (2015, October 9). 'Apartment Apartheid' arrives in Croydon via the back door. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/xa8BY2.
Keevers, L., Treleaven, L., & Sykes, C. (2008, Spring). Partnership and Participation: Contradictions and Tensions in the Social Policy Space. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 43 (3), 459-477.
Larner, W. (2000). Neo-liberalism: Policy, ideology, governmentality. Studies in Political Economy, 63, 5–26.
Lees, L. (2003). The ambivalence of diversity and the politics of urban renaissance: the case of youth in downtown Portland, Maine. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 27(3), 613–634.
Michaels, W. B. (2007). The Trouble with Diversity: How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality. New York: Metropolitan Books.
Perrons, D., & Skyers, S. (2003). Empowerment through participation? Conceptual explorations and a case study. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 27(2), 265–285.
Phillimore, J. (2011). Approaches to health provision in the age of super-diversity: Accessing the NHS in Britain’s most diverse city. Critical Social Policy, 31(1), 5–29.
Phillips, A. (2000). Equality, pluralism, universality: current concerns in normative theory. The British Journal of Politics & International Relations, 2(2), 237–255.
Raco, M., Kesten, J., & Colomb, C. (2014). Urban Policies on Diversity in London, UK. Bartlett School of Planning, University College London.
Residents for Regeneration (2012). Residents For Regeneration - Letting you know the facts to share the vision. Retrieved from https://goo.gl/peCfLJ.
Richardson, T., & Jensen, O. (2003). Linking Discourse and Space: Towards a Cultural Sociology of Space in Analysing Spatial Policy Discourses. Urban Studies, 40(1), 7–22.
Rose, J. (2014, March 19). Diversity in Croydon’s politics: Just an exercise in point-scoring. The Croydon Citizen. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/ofRTrS.
Sager, T. (2009) ‘Planners’ Role: Torn between Dialogical Ideals and Neo-liberal Realities.’ European Planning Studies. 17 (1), 65–84.
Sager, T. (2011). Neo-liberal urban planning policies: A literature survey 1990–2010. Progress in Planning, 7 (4), 147–199.
Sandercock, L. (2000a). Cities of (In)Difference and the Challenge for Planning. disP - The Planning Review, 36(140), 7–15.
Sandercock, L. (2000b). When strangers become neighbours: Managing cities of difference. Planning Theory & Practice, 1(1), 13–30.
Tasan-Kok, T., Kempen van R, R. M., & Bolt, G. (2014). Towards Hyper-Diversified European Cities. A Critical Literature Review. Utrecht: Utrecht University.
Thrift, N. (2005). But Malice Aforethought: Cities and the Natural History of Hatred. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 30(2), 133–150.
Titley, G., & Lentin, A. (2008). The Politics of Diversity in Europe. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.