| This dissertation has two fundamental purposes. First, it attempts to expand our understanding of housing policy by linking it explicitly to the way in which nation-states develop; and, second, to do this by exploring a neglected realm of housing study, namely, the Arab Middle East. Through a comparative analysis of housing policy in Lebanon, Jordan, and Kuwait, this study argues that housing policies are an important tool in nation-building strategies of these relatively young nation-states. Housing is a highly visible and distinct manifestation of the representation of the nation and the political, economic, and social choices of the nation-state. As such, housing policy in these countries is a critical tool in defining the nation, claiming territory, reinforcing national identity, redistributing income, fostering the growth of the middle class, and fueling domestic spheres of capital accumulation. In Kuwait, a comprehensive state housing system was a primary tool of nation-building, which, though serving to integrate the Kuwaiti community, raise standards of living, and foster stability, has also encouraged unsustainable residential patterns. In contrast, in Lebanon, housing policy served to support the market as the primary mechanism for attaining housing. This contributed significantly to regional imbalances and the fragmentation of different communities. In Jordan, housing policy combining market based strategies with sustained public assistance to civil servants has been successful in raising living standards and fostering the growth of the middle class. However, this policy is highly dependent on foreign aid and grants as well as remittances.;Because housing policy is not merely directed at housing, urban planners in these countries are highly constrained in their ability to significantly impact the overall direction of such policy. Consequently, past policies have failed to address the inefficient use of land and limited resources, the growth patterns that have become increasingly unsustainable, and the acute shortages of affordable housing in the largest cities of these countries. In order to design more realistic and implementable policies aimed at alleviating these problems, planning authorities need to reconcile larger sociopolitical and economic objectives with housing ends. In place of fragmented institutions, piecemeal policies, and conflicting programs, the building of institutions that will form the basis for a housing sector is of utmost importance. Urban planners need to focus efforts on land use controls facilitating a steady supply of urban serviced land, housing finance institutions, supporting legislation, and reforms in regulation as key elements of a thriving housing sector. |
