Semester 2: Week 1-2

Our first week back after the break was both daunting and exciting. I had a nice break and was able to connect with a project partner as well as solidify my dissertation topic. My partner will. Be Grand Bequest, and I am very excited to see how real estate, housing, and proptech come together in the real world.

My initial topic has now been changed to one that will focus more generally on homelessness and abandoned buildings. This topic has to potential for a more significant impact and is less tied to the context of certain generations or times in history; unfortunately, abandoned buildings are increasing everywhere. I think a unique thing about GB’s approach is that they want to kill two birds with one stone in a way. They will tackle GHG emissions from tearing down and redevelopment (abandoned buildings) and houseless people. From my perspective, I want to add a different sociological and social inclusion perspective to the team. I am also excited to look at more qualitative aspects of this issue. I think for methodology, it will be important for me to look at grounded theory, semi-structured interviews (although the ethics approval/justification concerns me), and observations (?). I think as the term progresses, so will my opinions on these methods.