Towards Spatial Justice: A Co-design Guide
The built environment has always been complicit in political change, economic pressures, and social movements. It is actively shaped by multiple actors – those in power and those disempowered – with different values, contested interests and varying degrees of agency. Reflecting on the theme of ‘connecting communities’, the research acknowledges and addresses the power dynamics at play in development, especially in the context of London and the UK where conditions of land tenure produce unique challenges to addressing spatial injustices. In the absence of legal or statutory guidance, too often ‘community engagement’ is conducted at a tokenistic level, with superficial considerations of what constitutes a community. The research aims to make a case for co-design as a more inclusive process for development that can empower a more diverse group of actors to be at the table and part of design teams, shape strategic decisions and participate in design and construction stages, which in turn strengthens existing and nurtures new communities.
The report is available to download at the end of this page.