Danielle Gluns examines how urban housing governance reacts to the onset of urban growth in an
internationally comparative perspective. The study is based on in-depth case studies of
Washington D.C. which is an example of primarily market-based interactions and Vienna which
has traditionally pursued an active steering role of the local state. The author assesses the
goals of urban development formulated by local actors and analyzes their translation into
housing policies within the respective governance structures. She demonstrates that path
dependence is an important feature of urban housing governance with relationships ideologies
and physical urban structures leading to stability. Even so change is possible as both
systems integrate new policy elements. At the same time both structures perpetuate inequality
in the urban housing system by excluding some of the most disadvantaged groups from
decision-making.
