Sectarian suburbs, social exclusion: planning, conflict and segregated housing in Outer Belfast, Northern Ireland, since 1968

Abstract

Our paper is concerned with Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland. It looks at how ‘the Troubles’ disrupted the communities and landscape of Belfast, but particularly focuses on the legacy of the conflict in the built environment of Outer Belfast. We explore three main areas. First we briefly summarise the reconstruction and suburban extensions of Belfast between the end of the Second World War and the outbreak of ‘the Troubles’ in 1968. We then assess how the sectarian conflict from the later 1960s and during the 1970s led to what might be termed the ‘suburban solution’ to internal conflict and violence as the authorities recognised the futility of integrationist policies and instead built new suburban working-class housing according to which side of the religious divide people identified with.. Finally, we look at how the Troubles between 1968 and 1998 created an architectural legacy in Outer Belfast. We compare this legacy with the architectural peace dividend granted to the older more central areas of Belfast, particularly along the waterside and in the old shipyards.