Periodic Reporting for period 3 - RadicalHOUSING (Radical Housing: Cities and the global fight against housing precarity)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-10-01 bis 2024-03-31
Millions of people are forcibly evicted from their homes every year, and 1.6 billion have inadequate housing. In response to the increasing dwelling precarity worldwide, grassroots housing movements are becoming more and more common. However, little is understood about the significance and impact of these struggles globally. How is the global fight for inhabitation reshaping our cities across geographies? The EU-funded RadicalHOUSING project aims to fill this critical gap in knowledge. It will achieve this through an innovative radical housing approach and research on translocal networks and grassroots struggles in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. The project will lead to a better understanding of the global fight against housing precarity and its urban politics.
The overall research aim is to investigates how housing and inhabitation struggles enable people to articulate wider, if often mundane, politics to fight class, race, and gender injustice across the globe. Central to the achievement of this aim is the development of a Radical Housing Approach (RHA), based on three tenets: a decolonial and intersectional take on theory; an ethnography oriented at critical engagement; and a committed approach to knowledge exchange.
The overall research aim is to investigates how housing and inhabitation struggles enable people to articulate wider, if often mundane, politics to fight class, race, and gender injustice across the globe. Central to the achievement of this aim is the development of a Radical Housing Approach (RHA), based on three tenets: a decolonial and intersectional take on theory; an ethnography oriented at critical engagement; and a committed approach to knowledge exchange.
FIRST Phase: Sept 2020-April 2021
This is the initial phase of the project, when it was still based at the university of Sheffield. This phase was characterised by the complete lockdown of activities locally and globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic and by family difficulties. Nonetheless, the project begun with the hiring of two part-time researchers, who worked on an initial literature review concerning housing struggles in Europe and the notions of housing and 'intersectionality'. The PI in this period was also able to draft a book proposal, on the basis of the project most advanced conceptual propositions.
SECOND PHASE: April 2021-September 2021
In this phase the project was moved to the Polytechnic of Turin, Italy. The PI re-adjusted to the new institution and continued the work on the project in three ways. First, PI was able to complete a first manuscript, which was sent out for review by Duke and it came back with positive reviews. Second, the PI advertised several post-doctoral positions internationally and undertook a very thorough assessment of all the submitted applications. The committee undertook more than 70 interviews to fulfil the available jobs. All in all, the PI hire 2 Italian post-docs for one year (renewable) and 4 international post-docs for three years. The Italian post-docs started working for the project in September 2021, while the international will commence in late January 2022. Third, much effort was put to secure the approval of the Ethic Committee of the Polytechnic of Turin. The PI undertook a very comprehensive analysis of the risks associated with the project, of its ethical consideration and of its data management procedure. Then, the final phase of the initial period for the Inhabiting Radical Housing project has been characterised by three elements. First, the PI, together with one of the postdoctoral researchers, completed the ERC ethics deliverable, which were submitted in December 2021 and received with appraisal by the evaluator. Second, much preparatory work to welcome the international researchers was put in place, in order to sort out the various administrative and COVID-related challenges of hiring, and therefore travelling, during the current global conditions. Third, the PI has continued his publications activities, publishing a special issue on 'Dwelling in Liminalities' in one of the major international journal in the field of Geography (EPD: Society and Space), and continuing to deliver international talks (which comprised three keynotes at major events) on matters related to the project. He also supported three applicants to the Marie Curie scheme, and was successful in obtaining a three-year international fellowship in Urban Studies (€220.000) that will support an Indian scholar to come to Turin and join his Lab.
THIRD PHASE: January 2022-March 2023
In this phase the team of researcher was trained to understand the project's goals, and much effort has been put into creating a collaborative and effective work environment for the international Team. The PI has spent considerable time in designing and then launching the lab associated to the project, called "Beyond Inhabitation, A Collective Study Lab". This is a key deliverable of the ERC, since it offers a platform for the ongoing study of matter pertaining to unjust forms of inhabitation and their politics. The Lab contains the ERC researchers, but not only: it is co-directed by an internationally renowned professor (Simone), it includes an insightful international steering committee, as well as member based at DIST, the Department hosting the ERC project in Turin. With the Lab the Team has organised a number of ongoing internal workshops, as well as seminar with international guests. A crucial component of this phase has been the initiation of the fieldwork for some of the researchers working on the ERC, including the PI. Field activities will take place throughout 2023. In this phase the PI has secured further grants, including one from the Italian Ministry of Universities (worth €280.000) to expand the ERC project toward Eastern Europe. Two Marie-Curie fellowships were also awarded - which signals the recognition of the work done in Turin thanks to the ERC funding.
This is the initial phase of the project, when it was still based at the university of Sheffield. This phase was characterised by the complete lockdown of activities locally and globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic and by family difficulties. Nonetheless, the project begun with the hiring of two part-time researchers, who worked on an initial literature review concerning housing struggles in Europe and the notions of housing and 'intersectionality'. The PI in this period was also able to draft a book proposal, on the basis of the project most advanced conceptual propositions.
SECOND PHASE: April 2021-September 2021
In this phase the project was moved to the Polytechnic of Turin, Italy. The PI re-adjusted to the new institution and continued the work on the project in three ways. First, PI was able to complete a first manuscript, which was sent out for review by Duke and it came back with positive reviews. Second, the PI advertised several post-doctoral positions internationally and undertook a very thorough assessment of all the submitted applications. The committee undertook more than 70 interviews to fulfil the available jobs. All in all, the PI hire 2 Italian post-docs for one year (renewable) and 4 international post-docs for three years. The Italian post-docs started working for the project in September 2021, while the international will commence in late January 2022. Third, much effort was put to secure the approval of the Ethic Committee of the Polytechnic of Turin. The PI undertook a very comprehensive analysis of the risks associated with the project, of its ethical consideration and of its data management procedure. Then, the final phase of the initial period for the Inhabiting Radical Housing project has been characterised by three elements. First, the PI, together with one of the postdoctoral researchers, completed the ERC ethics deliverable, which were submitted in December 2021 and received with appraisal by the evaluator. Second, much preparatory work to welcome the international researchers was put in place, in order to sort out the various administrative and COVID-related challenges of hiring, and therefore travelling, during the current global conditions. Third, the PI has continued his publications activities, publishing a special issue on 'Dwelling in Liminalities' in one of the major international journal in the field of Geography (EPD: Society and Space), and continuing to deliver international talks (which comprised three keynotes at major events) on matters related to the project. He also supported three applicants to the Marie Curie scheme, and was successful in obtaining a three-year international fellowship in Urban Studies (€220.000) that will support an Indian scholar to come to Turin and join his Lab.
THIRD PHASE: January 2022-March 2023
In this phase the team of researcher was trained to understand the project's goals, and much effort has been put into creating a collaborative and effective work environment for the international Team. The PI has spent considerable time in designing and then launching the lab associated to the project, called "Beyond Inhabitation, A Collective Study Lab". This is a key deliverable of the ERC, since it offers a platform for the ongoing study of matter pertaining to unjust forms of inhabitation and their politics. The Lab contains the ERC researchers, but not only: it is co-directed by an internationally renowned professor (Simone), it includes an insightful international steering committee, as well as member based at DIST, the Department hosting the ERC project in Turin. With the Lab the Team has organised a number of ongoing internal workshops, as well as seminar with international guests. A crucial component of this phase has been the initiation of the fieldwork for some of the researchers working on the ERC, including the PI. Field activities will take place throughout 2023. In this phase the PI has secured further grants, including one from the Italian Ministry of Universities (worth €280.000) to expand the ERC project toward Eastern Europe. Two Marie-Curie fellowships were also awarded - which signals the recognition of the work done in Turin thanks to the ERC funding.
After the set-up phase, and the exploratory work done in this first year, in the coming 4 years the project will pursue:
Global research on the struggle for inhabitation, divided into five work packages:
- WP1: Multi-language review on housing precarity
- WP2: Research on trans-local networks globally
- WP3: Extended ethnographic fieldwork in eight paradigmatic cities worldwide
- WP4: Knowledge-exchange with activists and support to their struggles
- WP5: Collective theorisation
Opening of a new Beyond Inhabitation Lab, which will include:
- International visiting (including housing activists)
- Transdisciplinary seminar series
- Extended working groups, with selected urban labs worldwide
Offer High-profile engagement, including:
- High-quality academic publications (also open-source), and a film documentary
- Situated interventions in support of local housing struggles
- Rich multi-media web site, used as a platform for interactive global connections
Global research on the struggle for inhabitation, divided into five work packages:
- WP1: Multi-language review on housing precarity
- WP2: Research on trans-local networks globally
- WP3: Extended ethnographic fieldwork in eight paradigmatic cities worldwide
- WP4: Knowledge-exchange with activists and support to their struggles
- WP5: Collective theorisation
Opening of a new Beyond Inhabitation Lab, which will include:
- International visiting (including housing activists)
- Transdisciplinary seminar series
- Extended working groups, with selected urban labs worldwide
Offer High-profile engagement, including:
- High-quality academic publications (also open-source), and a film documentary
- Situated interventions in support of local housing struggles
- Rich multi-media web site, used as a platform for interactive global connections