The diversified neighbourhood in western europe and the united states

Many politicians in Western societies assume that strong concentrations of public housing have a debilitating effect on the residents and produce high social costs. The general expectation is that mixed housing projects can help overcome integration problems. In the United States, Belgium, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands, opportunities to mix neighbourhoods vary due to different traditions in housing, as well as specific institutional and socioeconomic conditions. In this comparative article we show that yet another parameter—the predominant view on integration and multiculturalism in each country—is relevant when explaining differences in antisegregation strategies.