Spatial Justice: The Role of Housing and Social Policies in Social Inclusion and the Transformation of the Periphery

Abstract

Contemporary urban development is increasingly characterized by processes of intensive urbanization, wherein housing policies often fail to address the needs of the broader community. The predominance of market-oriented housing models has resulted in high-density developments concentrated in central urban zones, where residential space is commodified—treated as a luxury good rather than a fundamental human right. This approach exacerbates social inequality, leaving peripheral urban areas infrastructurally underdeveloped and socially neglected, lacking in both quality public amenities and affordable housing options.The absence of spatial justice in urban planning produces patterns of spatial segregation, further marginalizing vulnerable social groups and obstructing balanced, integrated urban growth. While Podgorica has, for decades, expanded its housing stock predominantly through market-driven strategies—placing considerable pressure on central areas while overlooking the developmental potential of the periphery—Carabanchel (Madrid) emerges as a paradigmatic counterexample. There, social housing has been conceived as an architectural, urban, and social experiment that challenges conventional models. By juxtaposing these two urban trajectories, this paper seeks to demonstrate that inclusive social housing strategies can serve as effective instruments for empowering peripheral urban zones and mitigating the spatial and social consequences of inadequate housing policies.