Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique (May 2020)
Two Nations Under the Same Roof? Housing and the North-South Divide in the UK
Abstract
As a legacy of the industrial revolution, housing differences in the UK are frequently referred to in order to exemplify the so-called North-South divide. However, a closer analysis at UK housing markets shows that it is necessary to qualify if not debunk that concept. This article will examine the North-South divide not so much from a public policy perspective as from a housing markets and housing conditions perspective. Firstly, I shall briefly analyse the official discourse with regard to a North-South divide in housing. Next, I shall examine the issue of the rescaling of housing and the growing importance given to the sub-regional level in England. Secondly, I shall examine the relevance of the North-South divide in housing in the UK on the basis of four indicators (physical aspect, state of repair, tenure, prices). Thirdly, I shall raise the question of the emergence of new and more relevant housing divides in England. Finally, I shall explore the question of housing policy divergence in a post-devolution UK.
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