Housed by Choice, Housed by Force – Homes, Conflict and Conflicting Interests
Interdisciplinary – International Conference
Location: University of Cyprus, The Cyprus Institute
Submission deadline: 1 October 2015
Conference dates: 21 -22 January 2016
http://architecturemps.com/cyprus
Context:
The need to be housed is basic and yet, the forces that produce it in any city of the world multiple, contradictory and often conflictive. Whilst inherently complicated in any context, housing delivery is even more difficult in sites of inherent social, cultural, political and economic sensitivity such as the one that hosts this event, Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.
Taking as its starting point the social, political, cultural and economic complexity of its host city – the world’s last remaining divided capital – this conference seeks to understand the range of conflicting interests and factors that shape the housing of our towns and cities in both normal and extreme scenarios.
It is interested in cases from around the world, from politically charged environments of military conflict zones to the socially conflictive contexts of developer led gentrification. It welcomes papers from resident support group or architects developing innovative approaches to housing design. It seeks the analysis of sociologists and the policy initiatives of planners.
The conference seeks to better understand how we safeguard the right to choose appropriate housing for all our citizens? How we ensure residents have a voice in design and development? How we guarantee adequate housing is always an option?… and how we overcome conflicts and conflicting interests to do this?
Format:
The conference welcomes case studies; design proposals, research projects, investigative papers and theoretical considerations around any of these or related issues. These can be presented in various formats: conference presentations (20 minutes); written papers (3,000) and alternative as Pecha Kucha talks; short film screenings; photographic essays etc.
Publications:
Papers will be published in journal article form. Selected presentations will be published in book form.
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