Action & Team
Prof Ana Cristina Fernandes VAZ MILHEIRO
ISCTE-IUL
avmilheiro4@gmail.com
www.iscte-iul.pt
Prof Gaia CARAMELLINO
POLITECNICO DI MILANO
gaia.caramellino@polimi.it
www.polimi.it
Dr Monica PACHECO
ISCTE-IUL
monica.pacheco@iscte-iul.pt
www.iscte-iul.pt
Dr Ines Lima RODRIGUES
ISCTE-IUL
rodrigues.ineslima@gmail.com
www.iscte-iul.pt
Prof Kostas TSIAMBAOS
National Technical University of Athens
kostastsiambaos@gmail.com
www.ntua.gr
Dr Dalit SHACH-PINSLY
TECHNION – ISRAEL INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY
dalitsp@technion.ac.il
www.ar.technion.ac.il
Prof Els DE VOS
UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERPEN
els.devos@UAntwerpen.be
www.UAntwerpen.be
Prof Yankel FIJALKOW
Prof Uta POTTGIESSER
TU Delft
u.pottgiesser@tudelft.nl
www.tudelft.nl
Prof Muge AKKAR ERCAN
Middle East Technical University
akkar@metu.edu.tr
www.metu.edu.tr
Prof Yael ALLWEIL
TECHNION – ISRAEL INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY
allweil@ar.technion.ac.il
www.ar.technion.ac.il
Mr Ahmed El-Amine BENBERNOU
ENSA Paris-Val-de-Seine
ahmed.benbernou@paris-valdeseine.archi.fr
www.paris-valdeseine.archi.fr
Prof Els DE VOS
UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERPEN
els.devos@UAntwerpen.be
www.UAntwerpen.be
Dr Juliana MARTINS
University College London Bartlett School of Planning UCL
j.martins@ucl.ac.uk
www.ucl.ac.uk
Dr Marija MILINKOVIC
University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture
marija.milinkovic@arh.bg.ac.rs
www.arh.bg.ac.rs/
Start – 03/04/2019 End – 02/04/2023
Considering the present political, economicand social context in Europe concerning housing – particularly regarding Middle-Class –, this is a crucial moment to combine the academic fields of Architecture, Urbanism, Planning, Public Policies, History, Sociology, as well as other social sciences, with the action of policymakers, institutional actors, local communities and stakeholders. The knowledge and the conclusions achieved within the academic circles will be expected to be put forward, therefore contributing tothe awareness on the MCMH issue as well as providing new outputs that can drive and deepen the current scientific research.
Although MCMH is already a research topic in several European countries, there has been little detailed scientific exchange and debate.
The following major gaps can be pointed to the current state-of-the-art:
1. Lack of debate on the historical, theoretical, sociological and architectural conservation premises of the different studies;
2. The existence of only exploratory approaches of cross-studies between sociology and architecture, despite being a seminal relationship;
3. The same applies to MCMH within the metropolitan areas;
4. Different levels of development in different national states-of-the-art;
5. The studies remain at local and national levels, therefore there is little work developed in a systematic and transnational manner;
6. Lack of interaction between scientific researchers and other agents such as policymakers, private investors and local communities.
Therefore, MCMH-EU allows strengthening the existing national research teams, by creating new working dynamics through the interaction between different groups and the development of an international network that increases dialectic perspectives on MCMH.
The Action intends to develop the knowledge of the interaction between spatial forms, behaviours and satisfaction and to combine methodologies of architectural and social analyses with the studies that privilege field surveys.
This confrontation will allow an unprecedented scientific debate and analysis on:
i. Different promotion standards (public or private) and its consequences in terms of the inhabitants’ resilience;
ii. Different conceptions, both qualitative and quantitative, of the Middle-Class in different countries and ethnicities;
iii. Different occupations (considering aspects such as inhabitant profile and events such as migrations, social changes, tourism, ageing and gentrification). Special attention will be given to the historical/social process, benefiting from the already existing research.
The main challenge of MCMH-EU is to create a transnational network that gathers European researchers carrying studies on Middle-Class Mass Housing (MCMH) built in Europe since the 1950s and to develop new scientific approaches by discussing, testing and assessing diverse case studies and their different methodologies and perspectives. Although being one of the main aspects of the urban fabric in Europe, MCMH has been generally underestimated in urban and architectural studies. By crossing the different approaches focused on Architecture, Urbanism, Planning, Public Policies, History, Sociology – as well as other social sciences such as Geography, Anthropology and Demography – new concepts and methodological approaches will arise, as well as a more critical look into the existing ones.
Therefore, the Action aims to produce a wider understanding of MCMH spread in Europe and beyond, not only by deepening on-going research and focussing on the existing case studies, but also by introducing new ones. The current methodologies, surveys, catalogue and contextualization allow an initial mapping of several relevant case studies, their diverse degrees of resilience and how they have been adapted to the current (urban and social) conditions. To accomplish these objectives, the Action relies on European partners but also on further collaboration with non-European researchers. The target groups of the Action include three levels of end users:
i. Academic/scientific working groups;
ii. Institutional stakeholders and policymakers;
iii. Local communities.
One of the major Action’s tasks is sharing and crossing the available sources and studies since most information is still dispersed or gathered under different criteria. The Action aims to provide, as a major outcome, a platform for future developments by establishing an open digital database that will allow creating an MCMH Atlas. This output will remain as a future research tool, as well as a contribution to new working methodologies based on shared knowledge.
The overall coordination objectives are the distribution of tasks, knowledge and know-how sharing, and the creation of synergies among Action Participants to achieve specific outputs.
These activities are expected to generate a decisive impulse to turn the existing scattered groups into a transnational network, thus boosting the already existing research. The specific coordination’s objectives are:
- To develop a common critical understanding of the MCMH phenomenon and a more precise understanding of its different expressions and premises.
- To coordinate working groups that will gather existing information and data, in order to create a comprehensive mapping.
- To compare and assess different narratives on MCMH and to question the main methodological approaches, underlying theoretical frameworks, and general expectations.
- To achieve a specific set of concepts and definitions derived from specific cases and applicable to a wider range of situations.
- To evaluate the input of stakeholders – housing public policies and local residents communities – in the different partner countries and their effectiveness.
- To create the ground for future architecture interventions, and the development of public policies.
- To disseminate existing research results in the scientific community, and within policymakers, stakeholders and the general public, including the creation of the Action Website.
The Action is expected to build a critical mass that will leverage scientific progress and will strengthen the European research on the MCMH studies. Facing these main goals, the general capacity-building objectives rely on two main levels:
1) Academic field
- Creating bridges between Architecture, Urbanism, Planning, Public Policies, History, Sociology and other social sciences to achieve ground-breaking knowledge resulting from an interdisciplinary approach to the MCMH studies;
- Acting as a transnational practice community aiming to achieve a positive impact on the action of policymakers and stakeholders such as private investors and local communities;
- Bringing a new comprehension of the Mass Housing concept in order to allow new frameworks for contemporary interventions;
- Promoting the existing research on MCMH;
- Developing a set of critical concepts for the understanding of the MCMH phenomenon in Europe;
- Sharing, producing and disseminating knowledge through the MCMH website.
2) Working teams
- Connecting newly established research groups;
- Challenging researchers in their early stage career (Master and PhD. levels);
- Constituting balanced teams in terms of under-represented gender and extending the network to four ITC countries in order to strengthen scientific production.
Carolina Camacho
Grant Holder Manager [CA 18137]
carolina_camacho@iscte-iul.pt
DINÂMIA’CET-IUL
ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
Av. das Forças Armadas
D301 | 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
Email mcmh.eu@gmail.com
Action Chair
Prof Ana Cristina Fernandes VAZ MILHEIRO
ISCTE-IUL
avmilheiro4@gmail.com
www.iscte-iul.pt
Action Vice Chair
Prof Gaia CARAMELLINO
POLITECNICO DI MILANO
gaia.caramellino@polimi.it
www.polimi.it
Grant Holder Scientific Representative
Dr Monica PACHECO
ISCTE-IUL
monica.pacheco@iscte-iul.pt
www.iscte-iul.pt
WG1 Co-leader
Prof Kostas TSIAMBAOS
National Technical University of Athens
kostastsiambaos@gmail.com
www.ntua.gr
WG1 Co-leader
Dr Dalit SHACH-PINSLY
TECHNION – ISRAEL INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY
dalitsp@technion.ac.il
www.ar.technion.ac.il
WG2 Leader, STSM Coordinator
Prof Els DE VOS
UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERPEN
els.devos@UAntwerpen.be
www.UAntwerpen.be
WG3 Co-leader
Prof Muge AKKAR ERCAN
Middle East Technical University
akkar@metu.edu.tr
www.metu.edu.tr
Science Communication Manager
Prof Yael ALLWEIL
TECHNION – ISRAEL INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY
allweil@ar.technion.ac.il
www.ar.technion.ac.il
Science Communication Co-manager
Mr Ahmed El-Amine BENBERNOU
ENSA Paris-Val-de-Seine
ahmed.benbernou@paris-valdeseine.archi.fr
www.paris-valdeseine.archi.fr
STSM Co-coordinator
Dr Juliana MARTINS
University College London Bartlett School of Planning UCL
j.martins@ucl.ac.uk
www.ucl.ac.uk
ITC CG Coordinator
Dr Marija MILINKOVIC
University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture
marija.milinkovic@arh.bg.ac.rs
www.arh.bg.ac.rs/
Start – 03/04/2019 End – 02/04/2023
Considering the present political, economicand social context in Europe concerning housing – particularly regarding Middle-Class –, this is a crucial moment to combine the academic fields of Architecture, Urbanism, Planning, Public Policies, History, Sociology, as well as other social sciences, with the action of policymakers, institutional actors, local communities and stakeholders. The knowledge and the conclusions achieved within the academic circles will be expected to be put forward, therefore contributing tothe awareness on the MCMH issue as well as providing new outputs that can drive and deepen the current scientific research.
Although MCMH is already a research topic in several European countries, there has been little detailed scientific exchange and debate.
The following major gaps can be pointed to the current state-of-the-art:
1. Lack of debate on the historical, theoretical, sociological and architectural conservation premises of the different studies;
2. The existence of only exploratory approaches of cross-studies between sociology and architecture, despite being a seminal relationship;
3. The same applies to MCMH within the metropolitan areas;
4. Different levels of development in different national states-of-the-art;
5. The studies remain at local and national levels, therefore there is little work developed in a systematic and transnational manner;
6. Lack of interaction between scientific researchers and other agents such as policymakers, private investors and local communities.
Therefore, MCMH-EU allows strengthening the existing national research teams, by creating new working dynamics through the interaction between different groups and the development of an international network that increases dialectic perspectives on MCMH.
The Action intends to develop the knowledge of the interaction between spatial forms, behaviours and satisfaction and to combine methodologies of architectural and social analyses with the studies that privilege field surveys.
This confrontation will allow an unprecedented scientific debate and analysis on:
i. Different promotion standards (public or private) and its consequences in terms of the inhabitants’ resilience;
ii. Different conceptions, both qualitative and quantitative, of the Middle-Class in different countries and ethnicities;
iii. Different occupations (considering aspects such as inhabitant profile and events such as migrations, social changes, tourism, ageing and gentrification). Special attention will be given to the historical/social process, benefiting from the already existing research.
The main challenge of MCMH-EU is to create a transnational network that gathers European researchers carrying studies on Middle-Class Mass Housing (MCMH) built in Europe since the 1950s and to develop new scientific approaches by discussing, testing and assessing diverse case studies and their different methodologies and perspectives. Although being one of the main aspects of the urban fabric in Europe, MCMH has been generally underestimated
in urban and architectural studies. By crossing
the different approaches focused on Architecture,
Urbanism, Planning, Public Policies, History,
Sociology – as well as other social sciences such
as Geography, Anthropology and Demography –
new concepts and methodological approaches
will arise, as well as a more critical look into
the existing ones.
Therefore, the Action aims to produce a wider understanding of MCMH spread in Europe and beyond, not only by deepening on-going research and focussing on the existing case studies, but also by introducing new ones. The current methodologies, surveys, catalogue and contextualization allow an initial mapping of several relevant case studies, their diverse degrees of resilience and how they have been adapted to the current (urban and social) conditions. To accomplish these objectives, the Action relies on European partners but also on further collaboration with non-European researchers. The target groups of the Action include three levels of end users:
i. Academic/scientific working groups;
ii. Institutional stakeholders and policymakers;
iii. Local communities.
One of the major Action’s tasks is sharing and crossing the available sources and studies since most information is still dispersed or gathered under different criteria. The Action aims to provide, as a major outcome, a platform for future developments by establishing an open digital database that will allow creating an MCMH Atlas. This output will remain as a future research tool, as well as a contribution to new working methodologies based on shared knowledge.
The overall coordination objectives are the distribution of tasks, knowledge and know-how sharing, and the creation of synergies among Action Participants to achieve specific outputs.
These activities are expected to generate a decisive impulse to turn the existing scattered groups into a transnational network, thus boosting the already existing research. The specific coordination’s objectives are:
- To develop a common critical understanding of the MCMH phenomenon and a more precise understanding of its different expressions and premises.
- To coordinate working groups that will gather existing information and data, in order to create a comprehensive mapping.
- To compare and assess different narratives on MCMH and to question the main methodological approaches, underlying theoretical frameworks, and general expectations.
- To achieve a specific set of concepts and definitions derived from specific cases and applicable to a wider range of situations.
- To evaluate the input of stakeholders – housing public policies and local residents communities – in the different partner countries and their effectiveness.
- To create the ground for future architecture interventions, and the development of public policies.
- To disseminate existing research results in the scientific community, and within policymakers, stakeholders and the general public, including the creation of the Action Website.
The Action is expected to build a critical mass that will leverage scientific progress and will strengthen the European research on the MCMH studies. Facing these main goals, the general capacity-building objectives rely on two main levels:
1) Academic field
- Creating bridges between Architecture, Urbanism, Planning, Public Policies, History, Sociology and other social sciences to achieve ground-breaking knowledge resulting from an interdisciplinary approach to the MCMH studies;
- Acting as a transnational practice community aiming to achieve a positive impact on the action of policymakers and stakeholders such as private investors and local communities;
- Bringing a new comprehension of the Mass Housing concept in order to allow new frameworks for contemporary interventions;
- Promoting the existing research on MCMH;
- Developing a set of critical concepts for the understanding of the MCMH phenomenon in Europe;
- Sharing, producing and disseminating knowledge through the MCMH website.
2) Working teams
- Connecting newly established research groups;
- Challenging researchers in their early stage career (Master and PhD. levels);
- Constituting balanced teams in terms of under-represented gender and extending the network to four ITC countries in order to strengthen scientific production.
Carolina Camacho
Grant Holder Manager [CA 18137]
carolina_camacho@iscte-iul.pt
DINÂMIA’CET-IUL
ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
Av. das Forças Armadas
D301 | 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
Email mcmh.eu@gmail.com
Prof Ana Cristina Fernandes
VAZ MILHEIRO
Action Chair
ISCTE-IUL
Av. das Forças Armadas
649-026 Lisboa
Portugal
Prof Gaia CARAMELLINO
Action Vice Chair
Politecnico di Milano
Via Bonardi 3
20133 Milan
Italy
Prof Yael ALLWEIL
Science Communications Manager
Technion – Israel Institute
of Technology
Segoe Hall 503
32000 Haifa
Israel
