Living Better
Asynchronous Session
Featured Contradictory Investment in the Production of Urban Space - a Harveyan-Lefebvrian Understanding of Auckland’s Housing Affordability Issue: Hegemony of Ideology of Neoliberalism
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maqsood Rezayee
In Auckland, the dream of owning a house may now be entirely out of reach for some people as housing prices continue to be severely unaffordable. One of the key factors to which Auckland’s housing unaffordability is often attributed is the housing shortage. Through abductive/retroductive reasoning, I contend that rather than attributing Auckland's housing unaffordability solely to housing shortages, other factors that have not been adequately explored contribute to housing unaffordability. This research found that after shift toward neoliberalism, the housing price significantly increased in New Zealand; therefore, the alternative factor could be traced to the shift from Keynesian welfare economic policies to neoliberal planning policies. From the neo-Marxist point of view, the profound impact of changes in planning policies under neoliberalism is the main inherent contradiction of capitalism: exchange value versus use value. Harvey as neo- Marxist urban philosopher suggested that the main aim of housing provision in capitalist societies is to obtain exchange value rather than use value. Due to the dominant role of exchange value in the housing provision, access to affordable housing for an increasing segment of the population has become more difficult. I set this theory as the hypothesis of this research, and the main objective of this research is to test the validity of this hypothesis in the case of Auckland. To provide a complementary theoretical framework for analysing the contradiction between housing use value and exchange value, this research integrates Harvey’s theory of triad circuits of capital accumulation and Lefebvre's spatial triad theory.
The Role of Mobility in Sustainable Urban Development: Italy in the European Context
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Stefania Montebelli
Climate neutrality is undoubtedly one of the most important goals that the European Union intends to achieve. The actions implemented for this purpose inevitably concern a more efficient economy, that is, not dependent on the use of non-renewable resources, in order to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions. This process can only be gradual with a reduction of at least 40% compared to 1990 by 2030 for climate neutrality by 2050. In view of this goal, the pursuit of sustainable urban development must be considered essential because in fact the city is the true testing ground for future challenges, both community and global. In Italy, 24.7% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the transport sector, of which 92.9% is represented by road transport, still strongly characterized by traditionally powered vehicles, although there is a relative growth in the consumption of alternative fuels. The renewal of urban mobility is, therefore, one of the focal points of sustainability policies that in Italy start from the strategies proposed by the PNRR as well as from the Urban Plans for Sustainable Mobility of metropolitan cities. The PUMS, in particular, provide for a strong increase in funding for sustainable urban mobility with particular reference to rapid mass transport, railways and the renewal of ecological fleets of public and private transport. This perspective explains the growing use of sharing mobility to achieve the goal of reducing the concentration of air pollution phenomena and the consumption of environmental resources in cities.
Reinterpreting DeafSpace for Domestic Architecture: Enhancing Sensory Accessibility in Private Living Environments
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Dulce Martinez, Jorge Eliseo Muñiz Gutiérrez
We initially reinterpreted the principles of DeafSpace in the context of the intimate environments of deaf people's homes as part of a larger investigation into modes of inhabit by deaf individuals. We investigate how we can adapt the principles of DeafSpace, originally intended for public space design, to enhance the quality of life in domestic architecture, thereby addressing the need for inclusive and accessible environments in intimate spaces. Since it expands sensory accessibility solutions in personal-use spaces, the study is relevant to inclusive design theory and practice. We aim to advance sensory design theory to solve inclusive and accessible architecture problems, particularly in domestic architecture. In the development of our research, we conducted a narrative review of the literature to define concepts and theories related to the ways of inhabiting deaf spaces and found that the concept of DeafSpace is the most relevant among all the references. We delved into concepts relevant to the main topic, particularly those related to habitat and perception, with the aim of refining the application and concept of DeafSpace within the architectural space of a deaf individual's private living. The results indicate that specific principles can improve home environments; however, there are constraints regarding technical and functional execution due to the distinctive characteristics of life at home. This reinterpretation encourages future study in order to refine these principles for housing as well as personal spaces, fostering a design that appreciates and accommodates sensory diversity.
What Role Can the Real Estate Sharing Economy Play in Helping Cities Adapt to Climate Change? : What Sharing Economy Models Should Be Developed in a Given Urban Space?
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Salima Bellili
Analysis of the urban landscape was undertaken. By applying the theory of urban relativity in the 5G area district of Montreal during our experimental project with our partners, we obtained relevant research results from the urban fabric on the functions, Urban design and economic models exist in the experimental area. I have chosen to share two economic models in my study area. Both of them have contemporary dynamics with strong sharing and attraction potentials in the socio-economic networks that shape urban spaces. In the first economic model, Universities offer a knowledge economy of scientific sharing. Comparison between Concordia University, a modern building, and McGill University, a contemporary building, and their integration into the urban fabric of our study area and geographical position an urban asset against climate change caused by urbanization. The second economic model is coworking space. The Wework economic model, which is located in my study area, an economic model that contributes in a sinequaunone way to the fight against climate change caused by urbanization. Research results were obtained for these two business models, The coworking space business model and the knowledge economy business model contribute to the sustainable development of the cities. Two different urban functions, two different economic models and two different urban spaces, each with a different approach to the structure of socio-economic networks in an urban environment are reviewed. We share multi-dimensional innovations and reality of the urban contribution of these two sharing economic models in adapting cities to climate change.
