I am studying the viability of squatting, its ethos as a design driver, and a proposed syllabus for its education in Manchester.
In England, the problem of housing is not of supply (because we have over 200,000 vacant units), but access. My proposal takes inspiration from debates over urban space and common ownership to make the argument that the City has always belonged to us, and squatting is a mere matter of 'coming home'.
I have designed the Feminist School of Urban Recapture. It provides all learners with a toolset of skills required for the long-term success of tomorrow's squats, with a major emphasis on "learning about building from the building".
Squatting is currently (more or less) illegal in the UK, and most settlements fail when law enforcement is involved. Therefore, a legitimate programme needs to act as a front, hiding a covert programme (including counter-policing).
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