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Cities, Housing and Real Estate Chair

The aim of the “Cities, Housing and Real Estate Chair” is to contribute to analysis of changes within the real estate sector, from the unique perspective of an approach rooted in the theoretical and methodological tools of the social sciences.
Many of the major developments affecting members of the real estate sector today fall within this scope of analysis: examples include changes to public housing policies (national and local), the dynamics of metropolisation, the impact of climate change on cities, or socio-demographic shifts within cities and regions.

The health crisis (Covid-19) reinforces a number of questions and opens up research perspectives on the nature of real estate production, its financing, and its geography for years to come.

Finally, at a time when French property developers are increasingly involved in the production of urban spaces and when large-scale metropolitan projects (such as France’s Grand Paris Express rail network or consultations like the “Inventons la Métropole du Grand Paris” initiative) are redefining our ways of thinking about real estate projects and public/private sector interaction, a more systematic analysis of property challenges through the prism of contemporary urban dynamics seems more essential than ever.

Find out more:

Section #partners

Partners

CDC Habitat is the public interest subsidiary of France’s Caisse des Dépôts. It is the leading letting agency in France, managing 512,000 properties, the majority of which are social housing. CDC is a major player in housing policy across France and in French overseas territories.

Eiffage is one of Europe’s leading construction and concessions companies. The Group generated revenueof €18.7 billion in 2021 in Europe and internationally.

Eiffage’s 73,500 employees work in construction, property development, urban development, civil engineering, metallic construction, roads, energy systems and concessions.

With climate change a mounting threat and with sustainable and resilient cities and infrastructure in demand worldwide, Eiffage is pursuing a low-carbon construction strategy on a large scale and seizing every opportunity for innovation in this area so it can make a difference by pursuing sustainable development for the common good.

The French Federation of Real Estate Developers (FPI) (FR) is the only professional organisation representing private sector property developers in France, and negotiates the industry’s collective agreements. Private property development has an annual turnover of €36.6 billion and employs 31,450 people (2020 industry report data). The FPI has 18 regional chambers in metropolitan France and the overseas territories and a membership of 660 property development companies. The FPI promotes the interests of the profession and serves as a trusted partner for government on real estate production (housing, commercial real estate, and serviced residences). As such, it consults with all stakeholders in the real estate industry and participates actively in policy and regulation development.

Since July 1, 2021, the FPI has been chaired by Pascal Boulanger.

Gecina operates innovative and sustainable living spaces, specializing in centrality and practicality. The real estate investment company owns, manages, and develops Europe’s largest office portfolio, almost 97% of which is located in the Ile-de-France Region, and a portfolio of residential assets and student residences amounting to more than 9,000 housing units. This portfolio is valued at €20 billion as of the end of June 2020.

At Gecina, we’ve made innovation and people the cornerstone of our strategy to create value and achieve our raison d’être: “Empowering shared human experiences at the heart of our sustainable spaces”. For our 100,000 customers, this ambition is backed by our YouFirst brand of relations and service. It is also central to UtilesEnsemble, our model of commitment to the environment, to the city, and to people

 

Section #team

Team & Organisation

The 'Cities, Housing and Real Estate' Chair is promoted by the Urban School and by the Center for European Studies and Comparative Politics, and administered jointly by prof. Tommaso Vitale (PhD, HdR) and dr. Ilaria Milazzo. The Scientific Director of the Chair’s teaching and research activities is prof. Bruno Cousin (PhD, HdR).

A steering committee is comprised of members of the Sciences Po Urban School and the chair’s corporate partners.

The chair is also supported by an academic committee responsible for guiding and evaluating its research output:

Finally, a committee of experts complements the Chair’s bodies. Its role is to participate in the identification of emerging topics that may be the subject of research.

Section #research

Research & publications

The primary ambition of the Cities, Housing and Real Estate Chair is to finance research projects and translate these into teaching at both undergraduate and graduate level within the different programmes at Sciences Po, particularly those taught at the Urban School.

Research Axes:

  • Financialization of the real estate industry
  • Public housing policy
  • Land issues
  • Urban shifts and the evolution of real estate production

The chair also seeks to generate an “ecosystem” connecting researchers, real estate experts or employees, and students. Networking events (debates, talks etc.) and field visits will facilitate these exchanges.

Section #contact

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