Role of Public Administration in Fostering Urban Housing Rehabilitation

Abstract

Urban rehabilitation has long been a major concern for academics, practitioners, and public authorities. The decline cycle of city centers in many countries, particularly in Europe and the United States, involves deteriorating conditions in housing, which lead to a decrease in the population, moving toward suburban areas in the well-known phenomenon called urban sprawl. Rehabilitation has difficulties in succeeding within a fully liberalized market, and usually requires public intervention at different levels to stimulate the renewal of housing, particularly in historical city centers. This paper reflects on the roles of public administration at different levels. It leverages the main conclusions on the Portuguese experience, whose lessons may be valuable to other countries.