MERGING - Housing for immigrants and community integration in Europe and beyond: Strategies, policies, dwellings and governance

Scientific coordinator: Prof. Morena Cuconato (EDU)

UNIBO Departments:

Department of Education Studies "Giovanni Maria Bertin" - EDU

Department of Management – DISA

Project’s team: prof. Ivana Bolognesi (EDU),  dott. Daniela Bolzani (DISA), dott. Leonardo Corbo (DISA), prof. Morena Cuconato (EDU), prof. Simone Ferriani (DISA), prof. Rosa Grimaldi (DISA), dott. Marta Ilardo (EDU), dott.Chiara Pagano (DISA), dott. Marta Salinaro (EDU).

Applicant: Universite Jean Moulin Lyon 3 (UJML3) FRANCE  

Partners: Lyon Ingenierie Projets (LIP) FRANCE, Quatorze FRANCE, Universite de Rennes I (UR1) FRANCE, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna (UNIBO) ITALY, Universitat de Valencia (UVEG) SPAIN, Goeteborgs Universitet (UGOT) SWEDEN, Malmo Universitet (MAU) SWEDEN, Social Business Earth (SBE) SWITHERLAND, Collectif D'echanges Pour La Technologie Appropriee Asbl (COTA) FRANCE.

N.r Partners: 10

Partners’ Countries: FR, ES, BE, IT, CH, SE

UNIBO’s role: Partner

Project Duration (in months): 36

Start Date: 01/01/2021                  

End Date: 31/12/2023

Status: active

Total budget: 2.950.643.75 euro

UNIBO’s budget: 258.451,25 euro

Project’s Topics: Interdisciplinary study of migrant integration through participatory housing initiatives

Description: The project brings together 7 disciplines from 10 partners to test an innovative approach aiming to facilitate and ensure the sustainability of migrants’ integration process. MERGING reviews existing knowledge, integration policies and initiatives across macro (EU migration policies), meso (regional economic & social systems) and micro (individual practices) levels in which housing occupies a prominent place. This will enable the partners to study the feasibility of participatory pilots in order to implement, test and evaluate them in 3 European regions. To ensure the success and the sustainability of the project, both immigrants, hosts, volunteers, NGOs, companies, citizens will be involved in the construction (or renovation) of housing.

The innovative, multi-method approach (e.g. interviews, focus groups, policy analyses, quantitative data analysis and participatory action research) provides in-depth analyses of:

1) the long-term effects of participatory housing initiatives;

2) factors fostering or hindering integration processes of migrants and access to civic rights in local communities and

3) how diverse stakeholders can support migrants by strengthening their socio-economic integration through participatory initiatives (notably the ones related to housing).

MERGING will contribute extensively to integration studies - empirically, methodologically and conceptually - through its place- and migrant-centred approach.

MERGING offers direct benefits to migrants and evidence-based policy-recommendations will help to push policy and practice innovation in the field of migrant integration in Europe.