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Living smaller: acceptance, effects and structural factors in the EU

Lehner, Matthias LU orcid ; Richter, Jessika Luth LU orcid ; Kreinin, Halliki ; Mamut, Pia ; Vadovics, Edina ; Henman, Josefine LU ; Mont, Oksana LU and Fuchs, Doris (2024) In Buildings and Cities 5(1). p.215-230
Abstract
This article examines limits to per capita living space (i.e. living smaller and/or sharing living space) as a measure for achieving sufficiency in housing. It studies the acceptance, motivation and side-effects of voluntarily reducing living space in five European Union countries: Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Spain and Sweden. Insights are derived from an extensive collection of qualitative empirical material collected from citizen and stakeholder ‘thinking labs’ across the five case countries. Overall, the data reveal an initial reluctance among citizens to reduce living space voluntarily. They also point to some major structural barriers: the housing market and its regulatory framework, social inequality, or dominant societal norms... (More)
This article examines limits to per capita living space (i.e. living smaller and/or sharing living space) as a measure for achieving sufficiency in housing. It studies the acceptance, motivation and side-effects of voluntarily reducing living space in five European Union countries: Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Spain and Sweden. Insights are derived from an extensive collection of qualitative empirical material collected from citizen and stakeholder ‘thinking labs’ across the five case countries. Overall, the data reveal an initial reluctance among citizens to reduce living space voluntarily. They also point to some major structural barriers: the housing market and its regulatory framework, social inequality, or dominant societal norms regarding ‘the ideal home’. Enhanced community amenities can compensate for reduced private living space, though contingent upon a clear allocation of rights and responsibilities. Participants also reported positive effects to living smaller, including increased time for leisure activities and proximity to services. This was often coupled with urbanization, which may also be part of living smaller in the future. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Buildings and Cities
volume
5
issue
1
pages
215 - 230
publisher
Web Portal Ubiquity Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85199059871
ISSN
2632-6655
DOI
10.5334/bc.438
project
EU 1.5° Lifestyles
Centre for Retail Research at Lund University
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
57fd9f80-af82-48bf-90ea-138b5faa25c6
date added to LUP
2024-06-27 19:07:36
date last changed
2025-06-21 14:15:34
@article{57fd9f80-af82-48bf-90ea-138b5faa25c6,
  abstract     = {{This article examines limits to per capita living space (i.e. living smaller and/or sharing living space) as a measure for achieving sufficiency in housing. It studies the acceptance, motivation and side-effects of voluntarily reducing living space in five European Union countries: Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Spain and Sweden. Insights are derived from an extensive collection of qualitative empirical material collected from citizen and stakeholder ‘thinking labs’ across the five case countries. Overall, the data reveal an initial reluctance among citizens to reduce living space voluntarily. They also point to some major structural barriers: the housing market and its regulatory framework, social inequality, or dominant societal norms regarding ‘the ideal home’. Enhanced community amenities can compensate for reduced private living space, though contingent upon a clear allocation of rights and responsibilities. Participants also reported positive effects to living smaller, including increased time for leisure activities and proximity to services. This was often coupled with urbanization, which may also be part of living smaller in the future.}},
  author       = {{Lehner, Matthias and Richter, Jessika Luth and Kreinin, Halliki and Mamut, Pia and Vadovics, Edina and Henman, Josefine and Mont, Oksana and Fuchs, Doris}},
  issn         = {{2632-6655}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{215--230}},
  publisher    = {{Web Portal Ubiquity Press}},
  series       = {{Buildings and Cities}},
  title        = {{Living smaller: acceptance, effects and structural factors in the EU}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/bc.438}},
  doi          = {{10.5334/bc.438}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}