In my pedagogical approach to urban design teaching I explore ‘community engaged learning’ through briefs that encourage situated learning and engagement with contested London sites, creating opportunities to design masterplans for local communities. As part of this approach, I setup teaching collaborations with several community organisations. Two of these collaborations led to public Exhibitions of Students’ Proposals where students engaged with residents, community groups, local government, and practitioners. These initiatives impacted the public debate regarding the sites’ future, and contributed to increase communities’ knowledge and resources to influence the discussion. In 2022/23, I have engaged with Voice4Deptford and Pepsys Community Forum for the Year 3 Urban Design: Space and Place module.
