052-0731-19L  Housing Issues and Challenges in the Global South: The Housing Question Revisited

SemesterAutumn Semester 2019
LecturersJ. E. Duyne Barenstein
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish


AbstractETH CASE has entered a collaboration with UN-Habitat with the aim to close the gap between teaching and international housing practices. As part of this endeavor, this lecture series introduces ETH students to the specific and often complex housing issues in the Global South. Interested participants can deepen their knowledge by writing an elective thesis in housing.
ObjectiveAcquisition of theoretical knowledge on the specific housing issues, challenges, and strategies in the Global South.
The aim of this course is to sensitize students to the specific urban development and housing challenges of the countries of the Global South. This area of ​​the world concentrates most of the future urbanization as well as the current development problems (poverty, housing shortage, informal settlements, etc.). The specific goal is to invite students to explore the issue of adequate housing in real contexts where technical feasibility, affordability and institutional capacity are important constraints to design practice.
ContentCore issues tackled in the lecture series:
(i) The global scale of the housing challenges,
(ii) A historical overview of affordable housing strategies
(iii) Global Housing Policies, the role of UN Habitat and other international agencies
(iv) The advantages and disadvantages of public sector housing (case studies),
(v) Opportunities and challenges of self-help and incremental housing,
(vi) Slum upgrading and participation,
(vii) The urban embedding of housing strategies
(viii) The development of strategic approaches, etc.
Lecture notesA course overview including lecture summaries is made available to inscribed students prior the start of the semester.
LiteratureA literature reader with relevant texts is made available to inscribed students prior the start of the semester.
Prerequisites / NoticeRecommended participation in the seminar week in a country in the Global South from 21-25 October 2019 and a one-week workshop "Housing at the Center" in Zurich during the seminar week FS20 from 16.-20.3.20.
Additionally, interested students have the opportunity to write a focus work on a connected but self-chosen topic at the institute NSL (Elective Thesis on Housing).