| GEMDev |
| Grounded Energy Modelling for Equitable Urban Development in the Global South |
GEMDev aims to contribute to inclusive decision making towards dignified housing and habitat by developing tools that can inform better energy planning. Communities which are off the grid of affordable, reliable and safe forms of energy services have limited or precarious access to energy services. This has particularly profound effects on health and economic opportunities. Focusing on the nexus between energy, comfort and housing, the project takes the case of Lima and Ahmedabad to better understand the access and use of energy in the day-to-day lives of inhabitants and how these practices change over time through different policies and processes related to low-income housing, such as consolidation, eviction, upgrading and relocation.
Introduction
This video was produced for educational purposes only and frames the challenges GEMDev seeks to address. To acknowledge this video please cite Lambert, R., Mohamed, M., Fennel, P. (2021) Towards Sustainable Energy Futures and Dignified Housing, GEMDev research project, University College London.
GEMDev Ahmedabad Launch
For question and answers please see:

| Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad is the seventh largest city in India and has a population of 5.6 million. The climate with very hot summers, and maximum temperatures of 41.3°C, result in acute health concerns for those living in poor-quality accommodation and making thermal comfort a key priority for residents. Although many settlements emerge through the efforts of inhabitants, unlike Lima, the state and developers are playing a greater role in their redevelopment. The shift in morphology from sprawling low-rise slums to purpose-built apartment blocks has meant changes in the use of space and energy practices.

| Lima

Lima, Peru’s capital city, is the second driest metropolis in the world. Since 1980, the population of metropolitan Lima has doubled, from 4.8 to an estimated 9 million. In the absence of affordable housing policies, the city continues to grow expanding outwards, beyond its metropolitan boundaries. The vacuum in effective management, the lack of a robust diagnosis, and the exclusion of inhabitants from participating in decision making processes to redevelop the area, limit the scope of urban renovation projects and programmes.
| WP1:
Governance and Planning
WP1 will analyse the governance and planning processes that have underpinned access to housing and space in Lima and Ahmedabad over time.
| WP2:
Energy Practices and Transition
WP2 seeks to better understand the existing energy system and how it is related to inhabitants’ access to energy, comfort in the home and safety.
| WP3:
Models and Tools
WP3 will address the invisibility of informal settlements in existing urban building energy models.
| WP4:
Actionable Futures
WP4 will explore how the knowledge produced through the work packages 1–3 can inform actionable strategies for future redevelopment to ensure dignified housing and habitat for all.

| Partnership |