The Impacts of Housing Mix Pattern on the Social Cohesiveness of Subsidized Housing Estates in Transitional China

In transitional China,a new area-based residential mix policy was implemented in many cities to promote social cohesiveness which shaped different patterns of mixed housing tenures in subsidized housing estates(SHEs)and lots of subsequent challenges.Although strengthening housing mix of advantaged and disadvantaged groups has been widely acknowledged in the housing and urban planning policy for fostering social cohesiveness in many Western countries,its effectiveness highly depends on local context.It is yet to investigate how the residential environment with different housing mix pattern can influence social cohesiveness in the context of transitional China,and why.In contrast to extant studies that mainly focus on different ethnicities and migrants in the western context,this study aims to investigate the impacts of housing mix pattern on the social cohesiveness of SHEs,one housing estate type with low and low-middle income resided.Based on a questionnaire collected from eleven subsidized housing estates in Guangzhou,this study found that a well-conceived pattern of housing mix can promote social cohesiveness.The results demonstrated that residents with different housing tenures mixing within one residential quarter enjoyed a higher degree of social cohesiveness than those mixing within one residential building or one housing estate.Moreover,residents' socioeconomic characteristics had a more positive impact on social cohesiveness compared to built and social environments.This study contributes to a more complete understanding of the differentiation and influencing factors of social cohesiveness among low-income residents in transitional countries,and to providing references for promoting social cohesiveness in low-income housing estate.