ABSTRACT
Despite the importance of residential architecture to the history, meaning and social significance of the built environment (those areas characterized by public, commercial and residential buildings, pavements and systematic street patterns), insufficient attention has been paid to the impact of architecture on cities in times of increasing shortages of affordable housing. Instead the focus has been on cities as places that serve and reflect the desires, taste and preferences of those with money and power. Understanding the importance of attracting investors and residents from higher societal and economic ranks, cities attempt to ‘brand’ themselves as vibrant, desirable and attractive places for residents and investors seeking exciting living options or lucrative investment opportunities (Greenberg 2000: 229). However, in this process the needs and voices of marginalized people are in danger of becoming neglected and unheard. Cities’ needs to generate profits combined with increasingly scarce space, makes it difficult to provide affordable residential housing for those on a low income.
