Every regeneration project promises something better. It rarely tells you who it’s better for.

Up to 3.4 billion people worldwide lack access to secure, safe and adequate housing. Cities are responding with new housing, regeneration and retrofits, but these interventions rarely come without trade-offs.

Investment can revive a neighbourhood while pricing out the people who live there. Retrofitting can modernise a building while erasing the heritage that gave it meaning. In fixing one vulnerability, cities may create another.

In our latest Cities on the Frontline session, we brought together perspectives from housing, regeneration, heritage and social justice, featuring:

  • Dr. Banu Pekol, Director, Heritopolis & Cultural Heritage Specialist, who framed the session through a community, heritage and social justice lens.
  • Mar Jiménez, Commissioner for European Affairs, Barcelona City Council, who connected the housing crisis to democracy and social cohesion, anchored in Barcelona’s policy response.
  • Lee Tit Kun, Director, Heritage Conservation Department, Penang Island City Council, who shared George Town’s experience balancing regeneration, heritage conservation and community life.
  • Sophie Ghyselen, Community Land Trust Brussels, who shared CALICO, an intergenerational, community-led housing model built around care and inclusion.

Listen in!