Spaces of Homelessness: Critical Perspectives on urban social sustainability
25 – 29 August 2025
This summer school on homelessness offers an interdisciplinary exploration of urban spaces, focusing on the experiences and challenges faced by marginalized populations from a critical perspective
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Keywords: critical urban studies, homelessness, inequality, space, intersectionality
Location
RWTH Aachen, Germany
Participants
Application is open to Master and PhD Students with link to spatial/urban/social studies of the member universities from the IDEA League Alliance.
Expenses
There are no registration and accommodation fees. Students from IDEA League member universities selected to participate in a summer
school only have to pay for their own travel costs where applicable (half board plus dinner on last day included).
Requirements
- No prior knowledge on homelessness required, interest/experience with urban studies in the broader sense desired
- Curriculum vitae
- Letter of motivation (NB: Please specify scientific interest in this topic from your disciplinary perspective; indicate if you are currently academically involved in research on the topic and/or if you wish to earn credit points)
- Supervisor recommendation & publication list (optional)
Homelessness reflects deeper structural inequalities in society. With homelessness rising across the EU and targets set EU-wide to eliminate homelessness by 2030, there is also growing awareness of the need for comprehensive solutions that address the root causes of homelessness, such as economic inequality, housing shortages, and inadequate social services. This summer course on homelessness offers an interdisciplinary exploration of urban spaces, focusing on the experiences and challenges faced by marginalized social groups from a critical perspective. Through interdisciplinary inputs, group work, and creative formats, participants will engage with complex issues surrounding homelessness and urban space. Each day will focus on specific spatial and intersectional dimensions of homelessness, led by academics from fields such as human geography, urban planning, and a variety of practitioners. We integrate theoretical and practical knowledge, with discussions on urban policy, public space, and the lived experiences of marginalized groups. The multi-faceted program engages students to critically reflect on homelessness as a spatial issue shaped by societal, political, and economic forces, and fosters both theoretical understanding and practical insights for future research and action.
Schedule
Each day consists of a theoretical input/discussion and practical/practice-oriented part including fieldwork & field trips
Learning Objectives
Explore critical urban studies of homelessness from an interdisciplinary perspective; understand structural inequalities and their implications for homelessness in urban space; learn and use empirical methods of critical geography to study urban spaces; critically analyze urban spaces and homelessness; contextualize urban phenomenon of homelessness and policy responses into larger societal dynamics