Session 1:
The Role of Co-Production in the Rehabilitation and Democratisation of Housing.
Thursday, December 11th, 2025, 3-5 pm CET
The first session specifically explores the role of co-production in the rehabilitation of housing. It addresses the immediate crisis of dilapidated and vacant stock by showcasing how community-led action can reclaim existing properties and use participatory strategies to rehabilitate both vacant and existing public/social housing without causing displacement, thereby protecting affordable housing assets while ensuring democratic and sustainable practices in their management.
Specifically, the session:
- Showcases effective, community-led strategies utilised to transform dilapidated, vacant, or under-utilised housing into permanently affordable homes.
- Highlights successful participatory strategies for the rehabilitation of public or social housing that actively avoid displacement, gentrification, and evictions, thereby contributing to the democratisation of existing housing processes.
- Facilitates cross-regional exchange to identify best practices and lessons learned for leveraging different policy and financial instruments to increase affordable housing supply through rehabilitation rather than demolition.
Flyers:
With case presentations from:
- David Nugent, Canopy Housing, Leeds, United Kingdom.
- Architect Amalia Von Sanden, Recovered Properties Program, Montevideo Municipality, Uruguay.
- Florian Vertriest, Collectif Non à la démolition dans le quartier de l’Alma-Gare,Roubaix, France.
And commentary from:
- Yiorgos Papamanousakis, World Habitat
- Hélène Froment, Un Centre Ville Pour Tous (Marseille)
Facilitation: Barbara Lipietz (DPU, UCL) Lorena Zárate (Global Platform for the Right to the City), Diana Wachira (Habitat International Coalition)
Languages: English, French & Spanish.
Resources:
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- Slides of the session available in EN FR ES
- Links of interest shared during the session available here
- Recordings of the session available in EN, ES,& FR.
