balanced neighbourhood

A neighbourhood which contains groups from all levels of society. Such a neighbourhood does not usually occur spontaneously and has to be planned, usually in order to counteract the processes of social segregation. It is hoped that a balanced neighbourhood will benefit ‘lower’ groups when they come into contact with ‘higher’ groups who will develop powers of leadership, and it is argued that the creation of a balanced neighbourhood will stabilize an area and put an end to the processes of invasion and succession.

Planning a balanced neighbourhood has been criticized; it is argued that there will be no sense of community when the members come from disparate backgrounds, and that conflict between unequals is more likely to be the result. Furthermore, balanced neighbourhoods would be unlikely to survive in a free housing market. A more fundamental criticism would be that it is based on an outmoded view of society.