Learning with the commons: housing for an urban social revolution

• Grant number: 20/11917-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2020
• End date: November 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Fundamentals of Architecture and Urbanism
• Principal Investigator: Leandro Silva Medrano
• Grantee: Ana Rosa Chagas Cavalcanti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/22704-8 - Architecture and urbanism, addressing the social space in the 21st Century: segregation strategies and appropriation tactics, AP.TEM

Abstract

Our research project aims to develop a collective knowledge base by means of investigative design methods and strategies to deal with the Brazilian challenge of constructing the social space within 21st century metropolization, supported by an in-depth account of the specific circumstances of three selected locations - Brazil, the Netherlands and Sweden - and by critical reflection on the evolution of housing concepts. The potential outcome of the research is based on the extent to which the case studies involved complement one another. On the one hand, nowadays Brazil is facing an enormous challenge to deliver accommodation for low-income urban citizens. On the other hand, the Netherlands and Sweden can contribute to academic knowledge related to collective housing, particularly with regard to design and participation processes. What distinguishes the operational and theoretical framework of this study is the emphasis on the large European notion of the comþmons. The objective of this research project is to discuss the possible relationships between the "spatial models" applied to housing production and the concept of the commons (in terms of the contemporary debate). Their results should stimulate the development of design methods and strategies which can enhance the creation of a more inclusive, vivid and resilient urban territory, exploring solutions to bridge the divide between housing and the collective space. (AU)