Urban Futures: Perspectives on Housing

Housing concerns us all: personally, politically, socially. The “third skin” offers protection and comfort, it also provides the framework for self-realisation. Housing is subject to a variety of influences: political, economic, social, cultural. Rents are rising faster than incomes, ownership in cities is unaffordable for many. The demands on living space and quality are increasing, cities are forced to adapt. Is that so? How do we want to live?

As part of the seminar series “Urban” Futures, the current state of housing in Witten’s inner city will be examined more closely. The seminar spans an arc of European urban development; in theory & practice. It focuses on socio-spatially relevant, political, economic, ecological and architectural characteristics. Against this background, we will visit concrete projects in Witten: cooperative and other housing projects, building groups, self-help initiatives (e.g. “Exchange Education for Housing”) or tenants’ and homeless people’s initiatives. In addition, philosophies may also be expressed about living in a community, in old age, in a terraced house or in a tree house. Ideally, the participants of the seminar will find concrete project approaches that can be pursued independently.

What do I need to know to participate?

How will we learn?
Lectures, workshops, film, observation, interviews

Seminar Goal
Developing a relational understanding of social space: theory & practice
Insights into urban policy and planning, participation, empowerment, self-help
Over/insight into different forms of housing
Ideally, the participants will find concrete project approaches that can be pursued independently.

Maximum number of participants
25