Thesis title: A Living Challenge: Cities and the Quest for Equitable Public Housing
This comprehensive exploration delves into the multifaceted realm of housing in America, presenting a nuanced understanding of its architectural spectrum and socio-economic implications. The study begins by examining the diverse housing typologies across the United States, analyzing the dynamics of the American housing market, and contrasting social versus public dwellings within the American context. It further investigates the interplay between the built environment and social disparity, focusing on the historical evolution, architectural impact on racial perceptions, and the pursuit of affordability and social equity in public housing design.
A significant portion of this work is dedicated to dissecting the architectural dimensions of public housing challenges in America, with a detailed case study of New York City’s housing crisis. It scrutinizes the issues of urbanity and inequity, particularly in dense urban landscapes, and highlights innovative architectural and policy responses to these enduring challenges. The narrative then shifts to an international perspective, comparing the public housing scenarios in New York and Mumbai. This section offers a critical analysis of the housing dynamics, policy strategies, and transcultural lessons that emerge from these two distinct urban settings.
The discussions on New York and Mumbai’s housing narratives provide a microscopic view of the city’s unique challenges and strategies, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These crisis and its aftermath are further explored in the context of broader post-pandemic housing scenarios, where shifts in real estate, emerging health-centric designs in public housing, and efforts to bridge pandemic-induced inequities are examined.
Looking towards the future, the study ventures into the evolving concept of home, investigating innovations in residential design, the impact of architectural dialogues on urban dynamics, and the convergence of media and public housing. It culminates with a focus on architectural interventions and policy innovations, highlighted by a case study of The Governor Alfred E. Smith Houses as a paradigm of architectural hope.
This work provides an epilogue that synthesizes the key findings and proposes a path forward, emphasizing the need for continued discussion and future research directions. Through this thorough investigation, the study offers valuable insights and proposes innovative solutions to some of the most pressing housing challenges of our time.
Key Words: Public Housing, Housing Crisis, Housing in New York, Housing in Mumbai