Forced Mobility: The Relocation of Public-Housing Residents in Atlanta

Abstract

In this paper we argue for the use of 'mobility' to describe not just bodily movement, travel, or transport, but as a concept that animates the constellation of policies and power relations that simultaneously move and spatially fix the urban poor. Using a framework developed by Creswell in 2010, in which mobility operates as 'an entanglement of movement, representation, and practice', this paper examines the mobility of relocated public-housing residents, who are forced to move as a result of the demolition of projectbased housing in the city of Atlanta. It draws from Cresswell's conceptualization of the politics of mobility in terms of motive force, speed, rhythm, route, experience, and friction to more fully understand the mobilities and immobilities of the urban poor as they respond to the neoliberalization of housing policy in cities like Atlanta. Based on our study, we propose the addition of 'resources' to Cresswell's framework to more fully capture the importance of individuals' abilities to navigate the complexities of residential relocation, as they draw on a variety of social networks, skills, and faith dispositions. Through a qualitative analysis of interviews and the voice and photographic journals of relocated public-housing residents as they recorded their eviction and relocation process, this paper documents their circulation processes against the backdrop of the city's neoliberalizing housing policies.

“Not Just a Lateral Move”: Residential Decisions and the Reproduction of Urban Inequality

“…Jackson, I'm sorry to disappoint you but you have to find another house.'" 16 Thus, while residential mobility research has traditionally downplayed the importance of unpredictable and unplanned moves, a growing body of research makes it clear that not all households can engage in the deliberative moves predicted by standard theories of housing search (also see Desmond and Shollenberger 2015;Hankins et al 2014;Schafft 2006). These findings challenge the voluntary moves assumption and force us to reevaluate the "two-dimensional paradigm of preference and constraint" that has driven mobility research to explain where and why people move (Rosen 2017).…”

“Let’s Get Ready to Crumble”: Black Municipal Leadership and Public Housing Transformation in the United States

“…Generally, prolonged demolition/redevelopment timelines, more restrictive admissions criteria, and more stringent lease guidelines for HOPE VI communities may limit "return" (Goetz 2013;Vale 2013). Also, increased opportunity for greater market-rate tenancy and ownership could influence commercial managers of HOPE VI communities to enact more stringent admissions requirements for public housing residents such as credit, crime, and drug screenings, lowering "return" by former public housing residents displaced for demolition (Hankins et al 2014).…”

Kentsel dönüşüm projeleri ve sonrası: Antalya Kepez-Santral mahalleleri örneğinde yerinden edilme süreçlerinin analizi

“…Özellikle yer değiştirmeler sonrasında konut edinme fırsatlarının doğması, konut ve mahallenin fiziksel durumlarının iyileştirilmesi bu programların pozitif sonuçlarına örnek gösterilmektedir (Kleinhans, 2003;Kleinhans & Van Der Laan Bouma-Doff, 2008;Bolt & Van Kempen, 2010;Kearns & Mason, 2013;Tieskens & Musterd, 2013;Miltenburg vd., 2018). Diğer taraftan projelere dair eleştirilerin odaklandığı noktalar yerinden edilme süreçlerinin en tartışmalı konuları olan toplumsal ilişkilerde zayıflama, yer değiştirmeye bağlı yaşanan stres gibi durumların ortaya çıkmasıdır (Hankins, 2014;Lees & Ferreri, 2016).…”

“…Esasında bu durum literatürde çeşitli araştırmacıların kentsel dönüşüm projelerine dair vurguladıkları pozitif yöndeki gelişimle paralel bir çıktıdır (Kearns & Mason, 2013;Tieskens & Musterd, 2013;Miltenburg, vd., 2018) Görüşmelerin ikinci teması Projeye Dair Toplumsal Bağ ve Bağlantılardır. Bu durum aynı zamanda kentsel dönüşüm projelerinin en tartışmalı etkilerden olan komşuluk ilişkilerinin negatif yöndeki değişimiyle paralel bulgular ortaya çıkarmıştır (Hankins, 2014;Lees & Ferreri, 2016;Demir, 2021)…”