Highlights of the very first steps of Inclusive Urban Societies Project: October 2023 – July 2024
The Inclusive Urban Societies project has started, and it has already been going places. Let’s take a sneak peek at what happened so far, what is currently happening and what will happen in the upcoming period!
Last November, members of the project co-organized the “The nexus of housing financialisation/gentrification/touristification in Southern Europe: Decolonising dominant perspectives” Workshop in Thessaloniki, with the participation of scientists from Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. The Workshop was funded by the journal “European Urban and Regional Studies” (published by Sage) and its purpose was to create material for an upcoming Special Issue on gentrification and touristification in Southern Europe. The Workshop was preceded by an Open Event, with the participation of stakeholder groups from Thessaloniki and other cities across Southern Europe (tenants unions, social housing initiatives, etc.), leading to thought-provoking conversations regarding the raise of rents, displacement of residents and overall changes in Greek cities. More information about this event can be found at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/events/714192103940650/?ref=newsfeed
In April 2024, the Project’s researchers submitted a first paper to an international scientific journal. The paper’s focus was the nexus of gentrification, touristification and housing financialization in the context of Athens, Greece. So, don’t miss out on the announcement of its official publication and release date!
Jumping to the present…
As of July 2024, the Inclusive Labour and Housing Observatory has gone online (you can check it out by clicking here)! This Observatory consists of visualization and analysis of data for labour and housing markets across various geographical scales, focusing on Athens and Thessaloniki but not limited there. It currently offers visualizations of Airbnb listings density in Athens and Thessaloniki, covering a long period from 2015 up to 2023 and comparing the pre- to the post-pandemic reality. Follow along, as it will soon be enriched with data on rental and sales price levels by region, as well as an estimation of each EU region’s touristification through a composite index!
However this is not the end…
In September 2024, members of the project’s Research Team will participate in the “14th Annual Conference in Political Economy” that will be held in Constantinople by the International Initiative for the Promotion of Political Economy! In this conference, the Project’s team members will present their innovative Touristification Composite Index, which estimates the extent that EU regions depend upon tourism.
More exciting news and initiatives are on the way, so stay tuned! Meanwhile feel free to follow and keep in touch with us through our social media platforms:
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Or contact us at our e-mail address urbaninclusion@aegean.gr
