Ivette Arroyo

Ivette Arroyo

PhD, Associate senior lecturer,

Personal profile

Research

Architect, with more than 25 years of experience working as practitioner and academic in Ecuador (2000-2010) and as researcher in Sweden (2011-2026). I defended my doctoral thesis entitled User involvement in housing recovery: Cases from Haiyan affected areas in the Philippines at Lund University in May 2019.

My previous research focused on housing, human settlements, and the social processes that shape the built environment, with a particular emphasis on contexts of vulnerability and transition. I have investigated organized self-help housing, post-disaster housing recovery, and the role of user involvement in housing processes from a capability perspective. I am especially interested in how design and co-creation processes, governance models, and community practices in everyday life can enhance residents well-being, social integration, and resilience. This includes a sustained interest in intergenerational collaborative housing, collaborative housing for the second-half of life, as well as shared forms of housing for students and other groups of society as pathways to more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable living environments.

Professional work

I have working experience as practitioner, lecturer and researcher. I served as coordinator and director of the former Institute for Urban and Regional Planning (IPUR) at Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador (2000-2003 / 2005-2010).

I have been guest lecturer at the courses Urban Shelter Workshop and Urban Theory Course carried out by Housing Development & Management, Lund University, since 2009. I have also worked as project leader of integration initiatives in collaboration with refugees and volunteers in Sweden (2016-2020). I am course co-coordinator of the courses Urban Shelter Theory and International Sustainable Development in Built Environment since 2023; and Collaborative Living Environments (starting in the autumn 2026).

Research

My current research examines collaborative housing models with a focus on social integration, everyday coping strategies, and the lived experience of residents, particularly in the context of the COVID‑19 pandemic. I led the European project “Collaborative Housing in a Pandemic Era (COHOPE)”, which investigated the interconnections between housing affordability, social integration, and health across collaborative housing initiatives in five European countries.

I am presently leading the DUT-funded project “Pathways towards Age-friendly Neighbourhoods (AGE‑15)”, exploring how 15‑minute neighbourhood principles and collaborative housing approaches can enable older adults to age well in place.

In Sweden, I serve as Principal Investigator for several research projects, for example:

  • HouseWell: “Planning and Development of Collaborative Housing and Shared Housing as Intermediate Forms of Housing for Promoting Older Adults’ Health and Well-being.”
    This project focuses on how collaborative and shared living environments can function as supportive housing solutions for ageing populations.

  • Co‑Led: “Collaborative Living Environments: Design Qualities, Sharing Practices, and Residents’ Resource and Energy-saving Behaviour.”
    This research investigates the interplay between design, shared practices, and sustainability behaviours in collaborative housing contexts.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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Collaborations the last five years

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