PhD in Urban Geography and Platform Real Estate

Utrecht University invites applications for a PhD research position at the Faculty of Geosciences in a project examining the relations between housing and platform urbanism. This PhD position is situated across spatial planning and urban geography research groups.

Your job

Participation in urban life is increasingly reliant on the use of digital platforms (for example, Uber, Airbnb, and Funda). These platforms territorialize urban processes, including housing, promising to connect different stakeholders in flexible and transparent ways; however, they also dictate the terms of connectivity. Platforms limit interactions between selected stakeholders and participants, (re)creating patterns of inclusion, exclusion, and inequalities, where the most vulnerable people lose out.

Platform real estate suggests increased transparency in the real estate market between buyers and sellers to address unethical bidding practices and favoritism. However, platforms create new intermediary gatekeeping dynamics through opaque algorithms and technologies, through which unequal housing markets must be negotiated. Previous research has explored the impact of global platforms and short-term rental housing (Airbnb), yet there remains little empirical work on the varieties of platforms that mediate housing markets. This project will focus on the intersection of urban housing and platformization, with a particular emphasis on the city of Amsterdam. By focusing on lived experiences, the candidate will use qualitative methods to explore how different social groups and stakeholders negotiate online housing platforms.

Project Summary

The rise of online platforms transforms the landscape of residential real estate, influencing how houses are bought and rented. For example, platforms like Funda, Brainbay, and Facebook are used to market various properties and screen potential residents. While these platforms enhance connectivity between sellers and buyers, they also redefine social relations and establish new norms within the real estate market. Moreover, platforms function as a dragnet for various data extracted from social interactions, aggregated, and valorized. This PhD project examines the relationship between digital platforms and urban housing markets, focusing on Amsterdam—a city with a distinct and challenging housing market. The research explores the lived experiences of various actors involved in housing platforms, including residents, realtors, landlords, and banks. It also considers the multiple platforms involved in the housing market, such as real estate platforms, social media, and finance. The Research Objectives are:

• To explore how different social groups and housing stakeholders negotiate housing platforms;
• To map the real estate ecosystem for the Amsterdam housing market;
• To analyze the role of digital platforms in shaping housing markets and social inequalities;
• To investigate how digital technologies interact with urban housing regimes.

Your role will involve the following tasks:

• Conducting qualitative research using methods such as mapping elicitation, interviews, ethnography, digital methods, creative methods, and observation.
• Publishing research results in academic papers and policy reports, as well as through creative forms of dissemination (e.g., podcasts, blogs).
• Co-organizing public engagement activities.
• Teaching a small percentage of courses starting from the second year (approximately 10%).

Your qualities

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the following qualifications:

• A master's degree in Human Geography, Spatial Planning, Urban Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Media Studies, or a related field.
• A strong commitment to interdisciplinary research.
• Demonstrated interest in digital technologies, urban studies, and social inequalities.
• Strong qualitative research skills, with a willingness to explore innovative methods.
• Excellent communication and analytical skills.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.

Proficiency in Dutch and experience working with diverse stakeholders in research would be advantageous.

Our offer

We offer:

• a position for 1 year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 36 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 2,770 and € 3,539 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU);
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.