Grassroots innovations in community-led housing in England: the role and evolution of intermediaries. Issue 1 (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lang, Richard; Chatterton, Paul; Mullins, David
• Is Part Of: International journal of urban sustainable development. Volume 12:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 52
• Page End: 72
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Community-led housing -- sustainability transitions -- grassroots innovations -- niche development -- social capital -- intermediaries -- cooperative housing -- multi-level perspective -- strategic niche management; City planning -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Sustainable development -- Periodicals; City planning -- Environmental aspects; Sustainable development; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 307.341605
• DOI: 10.1080/19463138.2019.1663525
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1946-3138

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The paper aims to take forward recent research concerning the development of grassroots innovations and sustainability transitions in housing. We introduce and empirically assess a multi-level, process-oriented framework informed by strategic niche management (SNM) and social capital theory. Drawing on qualitative data, the empirical part explores the emergence of community-led housing (CLH) in England as a grassroots-based housing niche which operates in a context of market dysfunction. The paper offers further conceptual development of the role of intermediaries in grassroots niche building. Our findings suggest an evolution from independent sub-niche umbrellas to broader-based intermediaries to leverage and consolidate different sustainability practices in the niche. The results question an unadapted application of the simplistic growth-oriented SNM approach advocating for strategic coherence. In particular, our analysis shows that the development of broader-based intermediary organisations is driven by short-term government funding and carefully preserves the diversity of approaches and identities within the niche.