The 21st International Scientific and Professional Conference "Urbanism and Sustainable Development" took place in late May 2025 in Srebrno Jezero, Serbia. The conference was organized by the Serbian Association of Urban Planners (SUPA).
On 6 March 2024, Sónia Alves, on behalf of herself and Dulce Lopes (professor of Planning Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra), presented the paper “Land policies for affordable housing – the case of Portugal” at the 19th annual conference of the International Academic Association on Planning, Law, and Property Rights (PLPR), 3-7 March 2025 in Cardiff (Wales, UK).
On February 18th, 2025, DASH member Marco Allegra participated in the inaugural session of the City and Regional Sustainability Transitions Webinar Series of the Regional Studies Association. Dr. Allegra delivered a talk on affordable social housing based on the work of the DASH project, titled “Perspectives on Social Housing from Different European Countries”
During a one-month secondment in Porto, PhD student Rikke Borg Sundstrup (Aalborg University) explored how the city addresses affordable housing through regeneration projects, public-private partnerships, and preservation of historic housing. Visits and discussions with Domus Social offered new insights into housing policy and the challenges shared across European cities.
A brief overview of the Serbian and Portuguese reality. On the urban transformations of cities and their relationship with housing policies, housing provision, the importance and relevance of public housing, and the urban regeneration process.
In November 2024, the Municipality of Braga took part in a secondment to Serbia, exploring affordable housing policies and urban planning practices. Through visits, meetings, and international events, the team exchanged knowledge and reinforced its commitment to sustainable development and inclusive housing within the scope of the DASH project.
From 2nd to 16th October 2024, Aleksandar Jevtic and Ivana Momic from the Serbian association of Urban Planners (SUPA) conducted secondments in Germany as part of the DASH project. The plan was to meet with urban planners, spatial planners and experts in various fields to discuss planning systems in Germany, in order to undertake a comparative study of the planning systems of Germany, Portugal, Denmark and Serbia, with a focus on social housing.
During a 10-day secondment (6 days in Lisbon and 4 days in Porto), Prof. Claus Bech-Danielsen from Aalborg University explored architecture, urban renewal and housing areas in Portugal. Study trips and meetings at the University of Lisbon and at Domus Social in Porto provided an interesting way to compare housing policy, social housing, transformation and architectural development in Portugal and Denmark.
A brief autumn visit to our new Portuguese partners offered rich insights into integrated social housing practices in Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia—highlighting how both companies combine planning, management, and care to tackle affordability, community resilience, and urban regeneration.
Vulnerable groups of forced migrants continue to face vast challenges in accessing housing in Berlin and Potsdam. Nina Amelung, ICS-Universidade de Lisboa, visited Inwole e.V., DASH partner, in Potsdam and explored migrants’ long and diverse paths to safe and permanent housing.
