CITY-OF-CARE takes a “personal network” approach to elicit the dynamics and the relevance of interconnected care providers in tight-knit vulnerable urban communities. This approach views networks from the standpoint of an individual (ego) managing his or her ties with alters.
The research fellow conducted a comparative/mixed-methods research in the two European cities of Milan and Dublin.
The research started off in November 2020 with a review of the available literature and a policy documents analysis to assess the political and institutional landscape, regulatory system, and existing housing policy framework of the European cities under study. Subsequently, a secondary analysis of Italian and Irish open census data bases about poverty rate and life conditions informed the selection of two disadvantaged areas experiencing a housing crisis under the threat of social housing financialization.
Primary data has been collected comparatively with households under the poverty threshold living in the targeted urban communities using a research that combines structured tools (informal network delineation and resource diaries) with participant observation, gender sensitive biographical interviews and semi-structured interview in the third sector in order to obtain both rigorous measurements and interpretative depth. [In Milan the data collection has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and "stay at home" restrictions].
The researcher has also successfully established a consultative local policymakers, stakeholders and women community leaders group (PWCG) in Milan and Dublin during fieldwork activity.
CITY-OF-CARE has been proved to be a very successful project with a notable impact on the academic community and the urban communities participating in the research.
CITY-OF-CARE has been chosen to help make our Cities Climate-Neutral and “Smart”. The European Commission DG Research and Innovation identified CITY-OF-CARE and the innovations created through the project as key enablers to sustainable cities.
Indeed, CITY-OF-CARE dissemination and communication activities have been designed to target the key audiences and stakeholders to maximize awareness of crucial themes in the field of the social sciences - such as housing rights, social determinants of health, and social capital - confiding in the impact that projects like this can have on the communities involved and the public debate. An example of this effort can be given by the community collaborative workshop organized in October 2022 in Dublin 8 in which academics, community members, students, solicitors, housing activists, artists and public housing officers came to work together and share experiences related on housing rights and health.
Contents related to the Dublin research have been already disseminated through different channels like a press release and an editorial article on the Irish housing crisis I have published in the online platform of this Irish national newspaper (30k as audience). I also have an upcoming publication of an edited book (Gold Open Access) with Bristol University Press and two scientific articles under review. Furthermore, some of the CITY-OF-CARE key preliminary outcomes have been published open access on the Horizon Results Platform.
Additionally, I have constantly updated the research communication through the project website (www.cityofcare.org) and all the associated social media channels.
