Call for Abstracts for ‘Housing (for) a postgrowth world!
Abstract submission is open until January 10th - to activists, practitioners, teachers, researchers, artists, and beyond.
Providing housing for all is central to building any future. The marketisation and commodification of this basic need has generated multiscalar and multidimensional inequalities and inequities (e.g., in housing affordability, adequacy, space distribution), leading to systemic impacts (e.g., on health, wellbeing, education). Narratives to address this ‘global housing crisis’ have largely focused on new housing construction as a silver-bullet solution to poverty, crime, homelessness, racial discrimination, and housing disrepair or scarcity. In this context, perceived tensions between housing demand and the urgent need to limit the environmental impact of residential buildings are constantly renegotiated, often leaning towards green growth arguments—supporting GDP growth by introducing ‘sustainable’ buildings into the market.
Tackling this crisis at its roots, however, requires knowledge on the system structures that underpin housing design, construction, use, and demolition, including the targets set for it, the actors that orchestrate these processes and their agency, as well as possible interventions, their effectiveness, and scalability.
In this landscape, the divide between housing theory and practice has been blurred by the collaborative, transdisciplinary work of academics, activists, and practitioners, whose roles often overlap and intersect.
As a result, alongside an expanding body of literature on housing studies (on the political economy of housing, housing needs and sufficiency, ecological strategies, alternative values, health and wellbeing), interstitial strategies have been implemented worldwide (housing cooperatives, community land trusts, squats), and housing and environmental justice movements have joined forces to advocate for universal housing within planetary boundaries (e.g. ‘Refurbish don’t demolish’ in London, ‘Abahlali baseMjondolo’ in South Africa, ‘Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Aandolan’ in India). Nelson and Schneider (2018) pioneered an attempt to bring these voices under the umbrella of ‘housing for degrowth’, opening a platform for the exploration of postgrowth housing futures. In this realm, there is an untapped potential to bring together transdisciplinary knowledge on housing justice to understand the recursive role of housing within broader post-growth transformations, while contributing to setting a housing degrowth agenda.
In this special session, we aim to create a space to showcase and discuss the efforts of practitioners, activists, and researchers towards housing (for) a postgrowth world. We welcome submissions from diverse geographical areas, focusing on qualitative investigations, quantitative models, teaching experiences, (art/architecture/other) projects, as well as lived experiences. Contributions may raise questions related to housing justice (intergenerational distribution, racial and gender inequalities and inequities), housing governance (state-led, regionalism, municipalism, anarchism; citizen assemblies), small to large scale interventions, as well as lobbying, activism, and direct action.
Format
This session will consist of two ‘housing stories circles’ of 45mins each. The circle invites 3 brief, 5-mins pitch presentations (without slides) on housing-related work, research, or activism, followed by a discussion inviting everyone to share insights, personal experiences, and ideas. This interactive format aims to foster a collaborative environment, encouraging diverse perspectives and dialogue. We will conclude with a round of reflections on a housing degrowth agenda, including gaps and next steps to provide housing for all within planetary boundaries.
Submissions
Abstracts (250 words max) introducing (i) the housing context, (ii) the work conducted, and (iii) a question for participants to address.
6 to 8 abstracts will be selected for pitch presentations, while other (accepted) submissions will be invited to participate in the discussion, sharing their initiatives through dialogue.
Biography of Author
Anna Pagani is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Engineering at King’s College London and an Honorary Research Fellow at University College London. She is also part of the Post-growth planning cluster of the UCL Bartlett School of Planning. In her research, she uses systems thinking and participatory approaches to co-design housing strategies that challenge the hegemony of growth and prioritise health and wellbeing within planetary boundaries.
