Fixing Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods through Social Mix: A promising potential or delusional deroute?

Abstract: Improving and solving issues related to disadvantaged neighbourhoods have for decades been a concern for politicians, researchers, and professionals in Denmark as well as internationally. Recently, the concept of social mix has been very popular as a vision of development within planning practices and political strategies to develop disadvantaged neighbourhoods. This thesis investigates the academic contributions and experiences of striving for mixed commu-nities when targeting issues related to disadvantage in society. Further, it examines profes-sionals’ experiences of developing disadvantaged neighbourhoods consisting of non-profit housing in Denmark and the prospects of social mix in this regard. Drawing on Loïc Wacquant’s concept of territorial stigmatization and Paul Cheshire’s perspective on social mix policies addressing symptoms rather than the underlying structures causing inequality, this thesis questions the effects of social mix and elaborates on potential alternative approaches. Through a critique of social mix policies addressing symptoms and statistics rather than struc-tures and individuals, the thesis concludes that social mix is a complex concept, which needs to be considered carefully when implemented in planning strategies and policies to avoid en-couraging structures of gentrification, segregation, and racism.