Climate just housing: Towards more sustainable urban environments for all

Climate change is profoundly impacting cities and their inhabitants, leading to increased infrastructure failure, food and resource shortages and death.

Research has shown that vulnerable households are not only the most exposed to these effects, but also experience displacement when cities implement green, climate-adaptive interventions that change housing markets and their affordability.

In Europe, the carbon neutrality goals set by the European Green Deal will trigger unprecedented transformations that might exacerbate these vulnerabilities.

In a context where new climate-adapted housing is reaching largely middle- and high-income groups, more research is needed to understand how housing access can be ensured for all residents in green, climate adapted cities.

CLIMATEJUSTHOME fills this gap through an innovative mixed methods approach that builds from an in-depth understanding of vulnerable households lived experiences and the unique insights they offer to advance just urban climate adaptation, housing planning and policy-making.

Using a case study strategy focusing on Spains greenest city Vitoria-Gasteiz, I will deploy policy analysis, spatial analysis, ethnography and ethno-spatial mapping workshops to generate data housing and climate (in)justices towards building new theory and knowledge on climate just housing.With the support of my supervisor (Prof Lancione) and his cutting-edge European Research Council (ERC) Beyond Inhabitation Lab at the Politecnico di Torino, as well as the award-winning Basque Centre for Climate Change BC3, the Fellowship will train me in ethnography, intersectional analysis and ethno-spatial mapping and act as a pilot for my own ERC Starting Grant on climate just housing.

Ultimately, the project seeks to expand theoretical and practical knowledge about how cities embracing climate change adaptation strategies can develop just housing and urban interventions towards carbon neutrality.