West European housing systems in a comparative perspective

Abstract

West European housing systems in a comparative perspective gives an overview of the results of almost 20 years of international comparative housing research, carried out at OTB Research Institute for the Built Environment of the Delft University of Technology. Attention is paid to methodological aspects, the development of differences and similarities between housing systems and the viability of international comparative housing theories for analysing the development of the housing system in individual countries. From a methodological point of view, a middle-way approach offers a meaningful methodological basis for international comparative housing research, taking due regard of both differences and similarities between housing systems and parts thereof. Important aspects of a middle way approach are the identification of a key unifying feature for non-uniform phenomena in different countries and the contextualisation of these phenomena in order to understand their place within the housing system. An analysis of the development of differences and similarities between housing systems in various West European countries shows that under the influence of demographic and economic developments, comparable trends can be discerned in the character of housing policies and in developments in the different housing markets. This has not led to convergence of housing systems due to the differing influence that housing traditions and the institutional structure of the housing market have on policy implementation. A final conclusion is that theories that are developed for international comparative housing research, and especially divergence theories, can also be applied to the evaluation of policy strategies in individual countries. The current discussion in the Netherlands about the future development of the Dutch housing system might benefit from the use of these theories.