International Symposium
Middle-class Housing in Perspective

Milano, Italy
DiAP Department of Architecture and Planning
Politecnico di Milano, School of Architecture and Society
FIRB Futuro in Ricerca

SYMPOSIUM PERSPECTIVE
The Symposium "Middle-class Housing in Perspective" aims to investigate the shaping of the residential buildings and complexes built for the middle classes during the second half of the 20th century in different urban and national contexts, putting them into perspective with special focus on how they are transformed by and/or resistant to the present urban condition.The goal is to collect and compare research and case studies with particular attention to the role played by the “architectures for the middle classes” in the development and growth of 20th century cities.

SYMPOSIUM THEME
During the second half of the 20th century, the middle classes played a fundamental role in the growth and transformation of cities. Specific residential models that were developed to meet their housing needs and social and domestic aspirations significantly contributed to shape the urban built environment. Homes, residential buildings and neighbourhoods built for the middle classes mirrored the urban and political changes of the time. They constituted the focus of planning policies and they also played a key role in the definition of spatial imaginaries that were associating the urban middle classes with a certain set of lifestyles, dwelling practices and consumption habits.
Today, these architectures and urban sectors raise questions about their adequacy with respect to the populations who occupy them and about the role they can play within a contemporary city. In this sense new relations are arising between social groups and residential space generating practices nd processes of metamorphosis that are influencing major parts of our cities, and suggest new scenarios concerning the future of this housing stock.

SCIENTIFIC BOARD
• Bruno Bonomo 
• Gaia Caramellino
• Alessandro De Magistris 
• Filippo De Pieri
• Monique Eleb
• Maria Auxialiadora Gálvez Pérez
• Bernardo Secchi
• Giovanni Semi
• Federico Zanfi

IMPORTANT DATES
• April 30th, 2012
Deadline for submission of paper proposals 
• May 2012 
Selection of the proposals by the Scientific Board 
• May 31th, 2012 
Notification of acceptance to the authors
• October 10th, 2012
Deadline for full papers submission
• November 22nd & 22rd, 2012 
Symposium at the Politecnico di Milano

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND CONTACTS
Organizers:
Bruno Bonomo, Gaia Caramellino and Federico Zanfi 
The symposium is organized within the research project Architectures for the middle classes in Italy: 1950s-1970s. For a social history of dwelling in Turin, Milan and Rome, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research through the program Firb Futuro in Ricerca 2008.
• Symposium Website: Middle-class Housing in Perspective Website
• Email: info@middleclasshousinginperspective.net