Paper short abstract:

Paper long abstract:

Contemporary development studies suggest a contextualized, flexible mode of urban policies governing informal housing. The renewable energy policies have encouraged the local states in Taiwan to incorporate solar photovoltaic systems into residential rooftops as a way to legalize existing squatting. The interrelationships among nature, society, and urban environment inherent to new governance strategies require further investigation in order to uncover potential socio-economic inequity. The study will interview rooftop squatters, asking them to document their typical uses of rooftops; it also conducts case studies of property owners applying for the rebuilding with local governments to legalize their rooftop squatting. Adopting a theoretical framework of urban political ecology, this study addresses dialectical relationships among sustainable technologies, urban development, local community, and green economy. Research findings will provide insights on urban political ecology, environmental psychology, and urban studies. It will also help us to rethink spatial practices of architectural and urban design when it comes to governing urban informality.

Keywords: Solar Photovoltaics (PV) , green energy, squatting, urban political ecology, Taiwan