A dream of adequate housing: Dealing with the “unplannable” for capabilities’ flourishing

The phenomenon of informal housing in Peru represents a significant challenge for low-income families. Either they follow the informal incremental process, taking around 25 to 30 years with unsuitable outcomes, or take the opportunity of the Government Subsidy schemes, also with unsuitable outcomes. This talk will present a mini documentary with the story of Mrs. Ada Huamán and her experience of planning housing within her reality as a dweller of the "informal" city, supported by MUTUO. Finally we will present an assessment of the outcomes of this process of achieving adequate housing through the capabilities approach and the list of 10 central capabilities.

Accessibility

An access guide to Birkbeck Room B34 can be found on AccessAble.

About the speakers

Mar Layesca is a graduate of University College London’s Bartlett Institute for Global Prosperity and co-founder of MUTUO, a platform dedicated to collaborative urban and social initiatives. With a focus on habitat prosperity, Mar works to address social challenges through innovative solutions. Her work bridges consultancy, policy and practice, aiming to foster social justice and decolonial lenses in diverse settings. Mar has extensive experience in international development and consultancy with institutions such as The Inter American Development Bank, the World Bank, Unesco and Municipality of Lima in Perú. Her practice both in policy and experimental field projects has informed her efforts to contribute to communities and shaping prosperous cities.

Seb Paredes Smith is a PhD researcher at UCL Institute for Global Prosperity, focusing on the intersections of formal and informal housing finance and community economies. With a background in architecture and hands-on experience in fieldwork, Sebastian brings a critical perspective to his practice as a policy consultant and researcher, aiming to bridge academic insights with practical applications that foster inclusive and prosperous futures. Sebastian has experience in policy design and assessment, innovative urban practices and research. He has worked with institutions such as the Inter American Development Bank, Swiss Contact, The International Finance Corporation, and Government institutions such as the Ministry of Housing and the Municipality of Lima.

About this event series

Dreams, Desires and Aspirations: Imaginative Landscapes of Prosperity

At UCL Institute for Global Prosperity we are working towards a new model of prosperity for the 21st century, reworking the way we conceive and run our economies, our societies, and our relationship with the planet. Our social and collective imaginaries, dreams, and aspirations are at the core of that mission, not only in understanding how people strive towards ideas of prosperity, but in unearthing how and why different ideas are constructed as they are. This term, we are inviting scholars, novelists, politicians, artists, and film-makers to help us excavate some of the imaginary forces that brought ‘prosperity’ to where it is today, and where it might be taken tomorrow.

Soundbites are a platform for professionals and entrepreneurs who are leading in their field. Speakers are innovators and inspiring actors working in new and traditional sectors, outside of academia. The Soundbite gives the audience an insight into how their organisation contributes to sustainable and inclusive prosperity.

For more events in this series visit the series page ►