Housing and Urban Spaces

Provision of adequate, just, dignified but also ecologically and socially sound housing, integrated into all systems in the urban realm also plays an important role in our research. Aside from issues connected to urban form and planning, there is a need to also look into the role residents and citizens should and could play in determining the urban quality of their dwelling condition in a contemporary and ever changing democracy. Community and social sustainability are a strong focus of our investigations. The physical design of communities to promote social sustainability is important but not the only element. New visions for neighborhood housing redevelopment should support human, economic, social, cultural recovery and renewal.

The view on urban spaces will be an all-encompassing one: a city’s streets, parks, squares, and other shared spaces have been seen as symbols of collective well-being and possibility, expressions of achievement and aspiration by urban leaders and visionaries, sites of public encounter and formation of civic culture, and significant spaces of political deliberation and agonistic struggle. They are spaces that allow and facilitate a coexistence of different categories of people. Urban spaces offer great cultural, economic and social values restoring the identity of cities and enhancing the lifestyle of its citizens giving them opportunities for new experiences. We often think of amenities as quality streets, squares, waterfronts, public buildings, and other spaces that have economic social and environmental value. The attitude towards urban space has gradually changed rediscovering their importance as an integral part of urban identity of cities.