The Seminar Series comprises four events that will discuss the issue of land commodification and its impact on housing affordability under capitalist urbanisation around the world. The events will be in different formats and will adopt different perspectives. The first event, a hybrid Research Workshop on Land Commodification and the Housing Crisis, will take place in Lima from 15 to 17 October 2025.
This event is intended for university lecturers, doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers and early career researchers from the UK, the US and Latin America. Participants will be selected through an online application process, with the expectation of recruiting 20 in-person participants and up to 10 online participants.
Wednesday 15 October – Day 1
9:00-9:30: Opening
9:30-11:00: Panel 1: Urban development dynamics
Panelists:
Cecilia Wong (University of Manchester, UK)
Helen Zheng (University of Manchester, UK)*
Adriana Hurtado (Universidad de los Andes, Colombia)
Discussant: Jessica Pineda – Zumarán (URBES-LAB, Perú)
11:00-11:30: Coffee break
11:30-13:00 Panel 2: Structural barriers to housing access
Panelists:
Anupam Nanda (University of Manchester, UK)*
Elizabeth Zenteno (Universidad de Playa Ancha, Chile)
Carolyn Swope (Columbia University)*
Discussant: Adrián Aiquipa (URBES-LAB, Perú)
15:00 – 16:30 Panel 3: Legal systems and urban planning
Panelists:
Jessica Pineda-Zumarán (URBES-LAB, Perú)
Cecilia Wong (University of Manchester, UK)
Joseph Huennekens (Columbia University)*
Discussant: Samantha Saona (Columbia University)
16:30-17:00: Coffee break
17:00 – 18:00: Project plenary session (closed)
19:00 – 22:00: Dinner
Thursday 16 October – Day 2
08:00 – 14:00
Visit to Lomas El Mirador – San Juan de Lurigancho (Haz tu Mundo Verde – NGO)
14:00 – 15:00
Lunch
Friday 17 October – Day 3
09:00 – 11:00 Panel 4: Speculative logics in the real estate market
Panelists:
Adriana Hurtado (Universidad de los Andes, Colombia)
Joao Tonnucci (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil)*
Anderson Garcia (UNMSM)
Discussant: Diana Torres (PUCP, Perú)
11:00-11:30: Coffee break
11:30-13:30 Panel 5: Resistances and communities
Panelists:
Elizabeth Zenteno (Universidad de Playa Ancha, Chile)
Hugo Sarmiento (Columbia University, USA)*
Nekson Pimentel (UNMSM)
Discussant: Jaime Vargas (PUCP)
13:30-15:30: Lunch
15:30-17:30: Closing plenary session
18:00 – 22:00: Dinner
*Virtual participation.