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Focus group at Vila Romão, in Lisbon

Published on 27-02-2024

On February 27, 2024, as part of the validation phase of the RE-DWELL transdisciplinary framework for affordable and sustainable housing, a team led by early-stage researchers Lucia Chaloin (in the context of her secondment at the Lisbon City Council) and Androniki Pappa, along with their ISCTE supervisor Alexandra Paio, organized a focus group at Vila Romão in Campolide, Lisbon. This housing complex is currently undergoing rehabilitation, with 25 housing units being renovated and five newly constructed, all offering affordable rents.

 

A total of 18 participants were involved, including residents, civil engineers, civil servants, the Lisbon City Council, Campolide community group members, architects, and academics. The Lisbon City Council facilitated the organization of the event. The purpose of the focus group was to address some of the pressing issues posed by the housing rehabilitation project, such as balancing intervention processes and daily living, fostering understanding among the municipality, residents, and technicians, and improving day-to-day interactions among all project stakeholders.

 

The discussion was facilitated by a game specifically designed for this event, based on a structured language developed in the RE-DWELL project. The experience underscored the importance of collaborative processes in defining solutions that resonate with citizens. These processes enable diverse stakeholders, each with their unique power structures, to converge in a moderated space where everyone's voices can be heard. These collaborative processes facilitate the gathering of various stakeholders in a moderated environment, enabling the articulation of concerns that might otherwise be diluted.