creative neighbourhoods
The role of creative production:
Across the world, neighbourhoods are undergoing profound transitions shaped by demographic change, migration, economic restructuring, climate pressures, and the growing fragility of social cohesion. Many cities have responded with public space upgrades and consumption-oriented placemaking, yet these interventions often fail to generate the deeper forms of belonging, mutual recognition, and everyday resilience that neighbourhoods require. Increasingly, research shows that neighbourhoods organised primarily around leisure and consumption tend to produce weaker social ties, limited cross-class interaction, and fragile forms of identity.
In contrast, neighbourhoods that embed creative production, making, repairing, crafting, growing, and co-creating, into everyday life tend to cultivate stronger social bonds, more inclusive public spaces, and more resilient local economies. These forms of production generate shared practices, shared risks, and shared stories, forming the social infrastructure that underpins cohesive and adaptive neighbourhoods.
Publications are shared as links to official journals and publishers. New publications will be added soon.
research worldwide
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Shanghai - Xinhua Road
Our efforts in understanding the transformation of Xinhua in Shanghai will contribute new insights in the role of Columbia Circle and neighbourhood integration.
Japanese urbanism
Our field investigations in collaborative urbanism in Japanese cities and the integration of mixed uses in densified urban blocks and a distinctive flexibility in block configuration.
Emerging cities in the Global South
The role of urban fabrics and the integration of creative industries is explored in Middle America, India, Middle East, Africa, and South-East Asia.
Nottingham - Creative Quarter
Our ongoing investigations in understanding the integration and development of the Creative Quarter in Nottingham and the role of housing.