The report is the result of a survey conducted between June and September 2021, aimed at gathering information on the living conditions and housing choices of non-resident and international students in Turin. The analyses contained in the report are part of a broader study conducted by a research group from the Interuniversity Department of Science, Design and Policies of the Territory (DIST) within the European research project Horizon 2020 SMARTDEST – Cities as mobility hubs. Tackling social exclusion through smart citizen engagement. The decision to study the specific component of students living away from home, thus excluding local students and commuters, is linked to the focus of the project, which aims to investigate the student population as a mobile and temporary population.
The anonymous questionnaire (in the appendix), distributed through the collaboration of universities, was completed by a total of 1,538 people, mainly enrolled at universities or polytechnic institutes. Although the sample represents a minimal percentage of the total number of students from outside the region (around 40,000), the analyses contained in the report represent the first attempt to investigate this issue in Turin. In a context in which the city is affected each year by an increase in the number of young people choosing to study in Turin, understanding their desires, expectations, paths, and any difficulties encountered could provide further tools for mapping out future lines of action in terms of the city’s attractiveness, hospitality, inclusion, services, and housing options.
The analysis of the questionnaire responses is accompanied by a substantial cartographic contribution, consisting of maps showing the location of the homes of the non-resident and international university and polytechnic population for the academic years 2017/18 and 2020/21. The sample consists of 11,763 individuals (6,247 from the University and 5,516 from the Polytechnic) for the 2017/18 academic year and 9,030 individuals (5,276 from the University and 3,754 from the Polytechnic) for the 2020/21 academic year. Both samples are the result of data extraction from two databases containing data on the residence and domicile of all persons enrolled at the city’s two main universities for the last ten academic years (2010/11 – 2020/21).
