Increasing socio-spatial resilience through temporary appropriation of urban waiting spaces for housing: a Participatory Action Research on the Solidary Mobile Housing project in Brussels

This PhD project aimed to extend the knowledge contributions of the practice-oriented Solidary Mobile Housing (SMH) project with a deeper study on how the co-creation of temporary housing on urban waiting spaces for and with homeless people and civil society organisations can contribute to socio-spatial resilience. Moreover, this study also aimed to understand the consequences of this for urban and architectural design, research and education.

To address these questions, we have interwoven Participatory Action Research in the SMH Living Lab with a theoretical and case study review, and a Critical Reflection on the SMH methods, experiences, and outcomes.

In this PhD, temporary use of waiting spaces for housing is forwarded as a small step towards, in the short-term, rapidly providing more affordable housing for the most vulnerable citizens. Moreover, this PhD also identifies a long-term perspective, focusing on adopting a more ‘transitional’ approach to the city and transforming the Brussels housing system to include more solidary and inclusive housing production modes.

The outcomes of this study include solid policy recommendations for operationalising transitional use of waiting spaces for housing. In conclusion, this PhD culminated in the formulation of a future perspective for increasing socio-spatial resilience through the solidary appropriation of urban waiting spaces and Networked Critical Spatial Practices, which we called ‘the Futuring Stack’.