Urban Cultures Research Cluster

The Urban Cultures Research Cluster was founded in 2019, and brings together an interdisciplinary group of designers. This group includes architects, landscape architects, architectural conservationists, design management, and wayfinding and inclusive design specialists – to explore the designed environment around us, the impact it has on us and our wellbeing as well as the impact that we, as designers might have on the environments around us. Our research explores designed urban environments from the scale of the home and street, right through to towns, and cities.

We see design as a way to imagine alternative futures that are more sustainable, or even environmentally restorative. Our research methods include design and practice-led methods, design based archival research, collaborative and co-design approaches, design pedagogies and cultural theory, engineering and fabrication, and action based research and activism in order to critique, challenge and disrupt traditional thinking and develop radical alternatives to current conditions. 

We are always keen to collaborate and currently work with artists, psychologists, performers, roboticists, students and education groups and particularly like to work with community groups. 

Research leads

• Professor Rachel Sara
• Dr Jieling Xiao