Together with the Sociology Department of Liverpool University and the Architecture Department of Liverpool John Moores University, Architecture_MPS is organising a two day interdisciplinary conference on the theme of affordable housing provision. Forming part of a broader program of international events, Housing – Critical Futures, it is open to academics of all disciplines and the general public. It is set in the UK but seeks to link with global issues.

The provision of adequate housing is one of the most important political issues in the UK today. Against a background of disparate policy interventions, resistances, contradictions and conflict, the Housing – A Critical Perspective conference seeks to bring together architects, planners, sociologists, artists, economists, geographers, political activists, housing associations and policy makers. The aim is to debate this urgent issue and consider problems, options and potential solutions. Reflecting the belief that housing and its social implications are not discipline-specific concerns the conference invites cross-disciplinary, creative, and critical thinking from those engaging in research and activism from both inside and outside academia.

The questions we are asking are multiple: How are elite, privatised residential developments reshaping urban space? How have recent policy interventions impacted on neighbourhoods? In what ways have architects responded to affordable housing crises? What insights can politically-engaged art projects offer? How has sociology made sense of local contexts and wider issues? What role will states have in the housing solutions of the future? How have local activists ensured their voice is heard in the context of change? What role is there for critical planning theory vis-à-vis housing?

Official website