The Social Zipper: Redefining the Role of Streets in Disadvantaged Housing Estates

Danish postwar non‐profit housing estates reflect the rise of the welfare state by providing quality housing for all, regardless of income. Typically built on the outskirts of cities, these estates were shaped by modernist ideals of traffic separation and functional zoning. Today, several states face criticism for their physical and social fragmentation. In response, the Danish government introduced the Parallel Society Act in 2018, mandating mixed forms of ownership in selected estates to promote greater social and functional diversity. The Parallel Society Act has led to extensive physical changes, including the creation of new internal streets designed to reduce isolation, increase “eyes on the street,” invite visitors, and foster social interaction. These interventions represent a new planning paradigm, in which streets are reframed as “social zippers.” This article explores how such transformations are envisioned and experienced in two Danish estates: Gadehavegaard and Gellerupparken. Drawing on methodological approaches inspired by architectural anthropology and based on an ongoing long‐term study conducted by an interdisciplinary team since 2019, we examine how the role of streets as “social zippers” shapes perceptions of connectivity, safety, child‐friendliness, and livability among residents and visitors. Findings reveal ambiguous outcomes: While streets are intended to connect people and spaces, residents often perceive them as intrusions into established social structures and spatial routines. This raises critical questions about whom such interventions are designed to serve and whose everyday lives they aim to reshape. The study underscores the need for participatory, context‐sensitive approaches to avoid reproducing the fragmentation these policies seek to address.