The report 'Mass Migration and Real Estate in European Cities' by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) highlights the new challenges brought about in urban planning and real estate due to the wave of migrants arriving in Europe.
According to the research by the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the migrant influx in recent years has increased urgency in urban planning challenges across European cities. The report identifies demographic trends in European cities in relation to the migration situation and highlights the importance of finding urban planning and real estate solutions for the future.
The non-profit organization ULI is present in 80 countries worldwide. The study began in spring 2016 and its findings were published in April of this year. It included online surveys of ULI members in Europe, telephone interviews with migrants and workers in the sector across 11 countries, and case studies in Turkey, Germany, and Sweden.
European population growth is due to migrants
Lisette van Doorn, CEO of ULI Europe, presented the report in Rome. "The research shows above all that European population growth is due to migrants. Without them, the population would have decreased by eight percent," van Doorn said. "By 2050 the European population will grow by 3.4 percent, 17 million people, thanks to migrants. We need immigration to grow the population," she said.
Van Doorn said the study revealed a "strong difference in public opinion between the perception of the situation and the actual reality", as well as a "significant lack of specialized experience linking immigration and the real estate sector". She said that migrants "add urgency to the existing urban planning challenges in cities, namely accessibility and inequality".
Need for sustainable, integrated housing solutions
According to van Doorn, migrants' tendency to go to cities results in pressure on local infrastructure and services such as healthcare and education. The ULI suggests some solutions to the problem. In the short term, useful humanitarian responses are needed, such as using existing government buildings and containers, to respond to the emergency.
In the mid-term, it would be helpful to transform already existing structures in disuse into temporary residences, the report continues. In the long term, it suggests developing a system that foresees healthy urban density and one that is sustainable, that doesn't create isolation or overcrowding, and that provides green spaces as well as spaces for connection and integration. In addition to this, it said there's a need to share best practices, information, and collaboration between the public and private sector and for providing accessible and sustainable housing solutions.