Office-Housing Linkage Programs: A Review of the Issues

This article reviews the literature on office-housing linkage programs. Though linkage programs enjoy considerable popular support, they tend to highlight existing political anatagonisms between neighborhood and downtown interest groups. City officials wishing to implement a linkage program need to delicately balance those interests while safeguarding against possible legal pitfalls and attending to numerouspolicy design questions. Evidence suggests that linkage is likely to be a viable option for only a few cities experiencing a rather narrow set of economic and political circumstances. However, where it can be implemented, it can be very successful.