Abstract
This paper is a contribution to the debate about the utility of path dependence in housing. The particular focus of this paper is the problem of how to distinguish between continuity and change, and how to reconcile the idea of path dependence, as a theory of continuity, with observable change over time. Path dependence is an attractive concept in relation to housing policy where there is clear evidence of continuity over time. Equally, however, housing policies and housing systems do change, often slowly, in small, gradual and incremental ways, not usually in dramatic transformations at a given point in time. This paper reflects on these questions, drawing on the existing literature and historical evidence from the UK. It is clear both that the UK pursued a path of municipal housing provision for 60 years after 1919, and that it is now on a different path, which had previously appeared to be ruled out. What can the transition from one to the other tell us about the utility of the notion of path dependence?
Published Version
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