Plenaries

This session will look at housing issues and trends in the Paris Region. As in other European countries, the steady rise in housing prices and rents over the last decade has accentuated inequalities in access to housing and has reinforced segregation. These social and territorial consequences are particularly exacerbated for low- and middle-income groups and families. They face a lack of affordable housing and are consequently being pushed out of the city centre. As the suburbs continue to expand, the historic centre is losing its inhabitants. A growing number of Parisian properties are either being rented out on a short-term basis, generating large profits, or are left vacant. Recycling office buildings, reusing vacant housing, balancing the distribution of social housing and producing new types of affordable housing are different responses to this new housing paradigm. The implementation of these various strategies raises questions about housing governance on a metropolitan scale.

Organizers:

Claire Carriou, Professor – Université Paris Est Créteil – Lab’Urba
Christine Lelévrier, Professor – Université Paris Est Créteil – Lab’Urba

Chair:

Catherine Sabbah, IDHEAL, Institute of Advanced Studies for Action in Housing, France

Speakers:

Jean-Claude Driant – University of Paris Est Créteil – Lab’urba, France
Anne-Claire Davy – IPR, Paris Region Institute, France
Eléonore Slama – Deputy Mayor in charge of Housing, Inequalities and Exclusion in the 12th district – City of Paris, France

As climate change accelerates, affordable housing has become a critical focal point in discussions around the right to the city. This session will examine the effects of climate-related disruptions on urban environments, with a particular emphasis on housing occupied by underserved and marginalized groups . It will explore how climate events—such as heatwaves, flooding, and severe storms—disproportionately impact low-income communities and exacerbate existing inequalities in urban settings. It will also address the environmental justice issues linked to policies aimed at reducing these vulnerabilities.

Organizers:

Margot Pellegrino – Université Gustave Eiffel – Lab’Urba
Caroline Gallez – Université Gustave Eiffel – LVMT

Chair:

Ivan Tosics – Managing Director, Metropolitan Research Institut, Budapest, Hungary

Speakers:

Gerald Mills – University College Dublin, Ireland
Vanesa Castan Broto – University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
Jennifer Duyne-Barenstein – Wohnforum, ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) Zurich, Switzerland

Housing renovation is one strategy to meet carbon emission reduction targets. As with other environmental risks (flooding, heatwaves, air pollution, etc.), people experiencing intersecting discriminations (low-income and racialized groups) are often those who suffer the most serious health consequences. The sustainable refurbishment of housing units is not socially neutral, and renews the challenge of providing both affordable housing and promoting inclusive cities. This plenary session explores the social issues and risks involved in renovating homes for energy-efficiency that are destined for low-income households. It also explores the processes of green gentrification and invites us to think about how to improve the thermal performance of housing without relegating some of its residents to the margins of the ‘sustainable’ city.

Organizers

Camille Gardesse – Université Paris Est Créteil – Lab’Urba
Nadine Roudil – ENSAPVS, National school of Architecture, Paris, France
Pablo Runet – Université Paris Est Créteil – Lab’Urba

Chair:

Nadine Roudil – ENSAPVS, National school of Architecture, Paris, France

Speakers:

Isabelle Anguelovski – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
Lucie Middlemiss – University of Leeds, United Kingdom  
Lidewij Tummers – Hochschule Anhalt, Germany
Simone Abram – Durham University, United Kingdom 

Urban areas, particularly the largest ones, face two main challenges: reducing the artificialization of land at their outskirts and meeting the housing needs of socially diverse households. Two main options are discussed: densifying spaces inside polycentric urbanized areas , or (and) building higher. The former  comes up against the need to adapt cities to climate change by avoiding mineralization. The latter  is often confronted by refusal from certain actors who prioritize  preserving the heritage of urban landscapes. In addition to the construction sector, an intermediary solution could be mobilized to optimize the use of the existing urban fabric: acting on residential and office vacancies, which represent a potential source of housing. The responses to these challenges condition the way in which cities are able to offer a sustainable future to their inhabitants, both socially and environmentally.

Organizers:

Didier Desponds – Université Cergy
Julien Watine – Université Paris Est Créteil – Lab’Urba

Chair:

Eric Charmes – ENTPE, National College of State Public Works, France

Speakers:

Albane Gaspard – ADEME, France
Jean-Marie Halleux – University of Liege, Belgium
Paavo Monkkonen  – UCLA, United States

The economic (in)accessibility of housing is a major issue across Europe, with varied effects on regions and social groups. This plenary session aims to explore the role of social housing in addressing this (in)accessibility, as well as the potential of alternative forms of housing ownership, such as community land trusts, through the combined perspectives of researchers and practitioners. The objective is to discuss how such tools for decommodifying housing are evolving within the context of climate adaptation, the growing influence and diversification of private actors, as well as demographic shifts and changing life trajectories.

Organizers:

Pauline Gali – Université Gustave Eiffel – Latts
Matthieu Gimat – Université Paris Cité – Géographie-cités

Chair:

Laura Colini – H-city, University Iuav of Venice, Italy 

Speakers:

This session will feature presentations by housing researchers and experts. They will discuss the objectives, instruments and outcomes of rent control policies. This session will focus on the capacity for political action and the ability of public actors to intervene in housing prices while responding to the climate crisis.

Organizers:

Francesca Artioli – Université Paris Est Créteil – Lab’Urba
Julie Pollard – Université de Lausanne

Chair:

Francesca Artioli – Université Paris Est Créteil – Lab’Urba, France

Speakers:

Matthias Bernt, Institute for Research on Society and Space, Leibniz, Germany
Melissa García Lamarca, Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, Sweden
Ewa Schwab, FEANTSA, Germany