In science and in society at large, there is a big debate going on about the existence and potential impact of 'neighbourhood effects'. The dominant question is: does the social composition of the neighbourhood have specific positive or negative effects on the career prospects of those who are...

Today, many who are involved in the governance of urban development and housing plea for area-based strategies to tackle urban social problems. Various arguments may be given to legitimise that kind of policy intervention. In this paper the assumptions behind the policy application are...