Book Launch of 'Transgressive City-Making and Governance: Housing Struggles, Occupations and Evictions in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area', authored by Saila-Maria Saaristo

We are pleased to announce the launch of the book Transgressive City-Making and Governance: Housing Struggles, Occupations and Evictions in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, authored by the DINÂMIA'CET-Iscte's researcher, Saila-Maria Saaristo.

The event will be part of the International Conference 'Portuguese/Global Urban Studies', organized by the Urban Transitions Hub, ICS-ULisboa, CIES-Iscte, Iscte-IUL, and CICS.NOVA.IPLeiria, and will take place on 22 April 2026, at 4:00 PM, in the ICS-ULisboa auditorium (ground floor).

The session is open to the public and will include contributions from Antonio Gori, Rita Cachado, and Simone Tulumello.

Transgressive City-Making and Governance delves into the pressing global issue of housing exclusion and forced evictions, using Lisbon as a case study.

This book, based on a 15-month engaged ethnography, critically examines council housing occupations and evictions, revealing how these practices challenge neoliberal urban governance and put forward alternative forms of urban citizenship. Exploring gendered, classed, and racialised dynamics, it sheds light on the transformative potential of housing occupations and the role of social movements in contesting systemic exclusion. It is essential reading for those interested in housing rights, social justice, and urban governance.

More info: https://www.cies.iscte-iul.pt/np4/4674.html