Dietvorst, Lisa (2024) Degrowth and eco-villages, what can social housing corporations learn? Master thesis.
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Masters Thesis Lisa Dietvorst - S3705366.pdf Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
A degrowth movement is on the rise , advocating for “an equitable downscaling of production and consumption that increases human well being and enhances ecological conditions of the local and global level, in the short and long terms”. The literature identifies a wide variety of ways in which spatial planning can contribute to a degrowth future , housing development is one of them. This research specifically investigates eco villages as this specific type of housing development is often referred to as the ideal degrowth human settlement . A common critique of degrowth is that it rarely reflects on how the values and principles of degrowth could be applied onto bigger urban systems, instead of limiting the scope to local initiatives on the community or neighbourhood level such as eco villages . Therefore, this research aims to see what housing corporations can learn from eco villages in adopting degrowth principles to their housing supply. A multiple case study was performed using mixed research methods to analyse 4 degrowth principles ecological sustainability, social aspects (such as community building and social cohesion), autonomy and affordability. This research reveals that eco villages are quite successful in applying degrowth principles to their initiative and that they can pose as inspiration for housing corporations to implement these principles as well. The main conclusion from this thesis is that there are several opportunities for housing corporations to learn from eco villages, with most potential being in the ecological sustainability of the housing supply. However, there is a share of challenges and barriers that need to be considered Especially the question of desirability for housing corporations to apply these principles was raised , because a variety of risks that came to light , such as reduced rentability and affordability and the risk of nuisance . Further research is needed on the possible role of housing corporations in the degrowth transition and further studies are recommended on the desirability of applying these principles to the housing stock.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Degree programme: | Society, Sustainability and Planning (MSc Socio-spatial Planning) |
| Supervisor: | Rauws, W.S. |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Feb 2024 13:48 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Feb 2024 13:48 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4480 |
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