Urban Cultures Research Cluster
The Urban Cultures Research Cluster undertakes research into the design of the urban environment and the changing relationships between society and cities/towns.
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
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Members
Learn more about the work and history of our research members and doctoral students.
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Research projects
Discover what exciting research projects the Urban Cultures cluster is currently working on.
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Publications and debates
Information on our publications and links to our debates.
View moreGot an enquiry?
If you want to find out how to get involved with the research centre, crave the latest updates or have a media request, please fill contact rachel.sara@bcu.ac.uk or jieling.xiao@bcu.ac.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.