Integrative refugee housing: the efficacy of adaptative reuse in the United States and Germany

Abstract

The combination of recent refugee crises and related anti-immigration political sentiment has led an increasing number of countries to enact restrictive refugee policies. For instance, despite a long, albeit checkered, history of refugee relocation, the current U.S. administration has promoted policies banning immigration, refugee or otherwise, from seven majority Muslim countries. Contrastingly, other countries such as Germany have promoted more inclusive policies. Grounded in an understanding of the differences between policy formation and refugee housing strategies more generally in development urban contexts, this study explores how urban refugee integration relates to a specific development strategy: adaptive reuse. Through a review of primary and secondary sources and evaluation of four reuse projects, this study finds that adaptive reuse is effective in promoting both physical and social refugee integration, and when executed prudently, can provide a financially feasible and sustainable development model. Selected case studies are demonstrative both in directly addressing refugee-housing needs, as is observed in Germany, and indirectly, as examined in the United States, where mixed-income projects have become housing solutions for refugees. Furthermore, this study provides argumentation for how municipalities can better support adaptive reuse strategies through policy and public-private partnerships that leverage digital platforms, land/building-owners, and management companies.