Geografie 2020, 125, 375-395
In defense of housing: The view of Anglo-American radical geography on the housing crisis and its use in Czechia
Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Sociological Studies, Prague, Czechia
Received June 2019
Accepted February 2020
The review essay summarizes the basic thoughts and concepts found in Madden and Marcuse’s book (2016) In Defense of Housing. It also connects its key findings with the current situation of housing in Czechia – with a special focus on the capital Prague. The essay presents current data on the alleged housing crisis in Czechia and seeks to find similarities with the development of the housing situation and housing policies in the Anglo-American context analyzed in the book. It shows that most of its conclusions can be used in the post-socialist context of Central Europe, as some of the processes identified in the 1970s at the start of neoliberal policies in the West are now also visible, and even amplified, in former socialist countries. The essay outlines some basic measures that may help to improve the housing situation in Czechia. The review also outlines several ideas that could challenge the dominant discourse promoted by private investors calling for a removal of building regulations and the public’s exclusion from decision-making.
Keywords
housing crisis, politics, development, cities, neoliberalism.
Funding
This work was supported by SVV 260 462.
