Lecture eleven in the ReHousIn Lecture Series examines how the UK's green transition is reshaping housing inequalities. Delivered by Phoebe Stirling from University College London (UCL), the lecture explores the relationship between climate action, housing provision and the structural challenges affecting affordability, access and housing stability.
Drawing on research conducted as part of the ReHousIn project, this lecture analyses three key areas of the green transition: domestic retrofitting, nature-based solutions and urban densification. Through policy analysis, stakeholder interviews and comparative research, the study investigates how these initiatives interact with existing housing inequalities across the UK.
One point that the lecture argues is that that many of the challenges associated with the green transition stem not from environmental policies themselves, but from the wider organisation of housing and welfare systems. Rising land values, fragmented governance, market-based funding mechanisms and increasing reliance on intermediary organisations all contribute to higher delivery costs, which are ultimately passed on to residents.
The session highlights the need for better coordination, stronger public capacity and more equitable policy design to ensure that green transition initiatives support, rather than reinforce, housing affordability and social equity.
Watch the full lecture to learn more about the structural drivers of housing inequalities and the policy changes needed to deliver a more just green transition.
The full lecture recording is available on our YouTube channel and contributes to ReHousIn's broader comparative research on housing inequalities across nine European countries.
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