Mel Nowicki

Dr Mel Nowicki is a Reader in Urban and Social Geography at Oxford Brookes University, focusing on critical geographies of home, housing inequality, and urban precarity. Their research intersects with themes of austerity politics, shrinking living spaces, and family homelessness.

• Education: PhD in Geography from Royal Holloway, University of London (2017).

Their research explores how housing policies like the UK's bedroom tax and the criminalisation of squatting impact urban life, with a particular emphasis on temporary accommodation and micro-living trends. They have published extensively on topics such as modular housing stigma, assemblage theory in temporary homes, and the global implications of shrinking domestic spaces.

Recent projects include analyses of pop-up housing in London and Dublin, Tiny Housing movements in Austin, Texas, and comparative housing affordability policies between Japan and the UK. Key grants include awards from the Urban Studies Foundation, British Academy, and ESRC-AHRC.

• Co-Lead of Oxford Brookes' Sustainable and Resilient Futures Research Network
• Member of the Centre for Environment and Society (CES)

Dr Nowicki's media engagement includes contributions to The Guardian, Irish national radio interviews, and appearances on 'The Housing Podcast'.