Landscapes for Profit, Landscapes for LifeRaquel Rolnik in conversation with Charlotte Malterre-Barthes
In contemporary cities, global finance has taken over land and built space, submitting forms and uses to the logic, rhythms and culture of rent seeking capital. “Landscapes for profit” correspond to real estate financial products which develop over, destroying and displacing existing living places. The lecture will retrieve the political economy of financialisation of urban space as well as the corresponding resistance movements. Using examples of different cities in the world, both in the north and in the south, and adopting a historical perspective, the lecture will try to connect architectures, forms of tenure, and political power to understand current struggles over the right to the city.
The lecture will be followed by a conversation with Charlotte Malterre-Barthes.
Raquel Rolnik is a professor at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo, architect and urban planner, with over 35 years of scholarship, activism and practical experience in planning, urban land policy and housing issues. In her career, she has held various government positions including Director of the Planning Department of the city of São Paulo (1989-1992) and National Secretary for Urban Programs of the Brazilian Ministry of Cities (2003-2007) as well as NGO activities, such as Urban Policy Coordinator of the Polis Institute (1997-2002). In 2008 Professor Rolnik was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing for a six years mandate, ending June 2014.
Charlotte Malterre–Barthes is an architect and urban designer. She is involved in research and teaching at the chair of Prof. Dr. Marc Angélil since 2011, and is currently completing a doctoral degree on Food and Territories, with Egypt as case study. She directed the cycle on Egypt (2014-2016) of the MAS in Urban Design, investigating formal and informal urban dynamics of Cairo, and currently direct the MAS Urban Design on Tangier/Marseille.