As Another Provision, Johann Arens and I led a series of participatory design workshops in 2021, in which people affected by food injustice discussed the qualities they valued and would like to see in communal eating spaces. Groups of participants build smalls models of the spaces. Based on this, Johann built a mobile installation that can be used by food groups for free-of-charge community meals around London.

Funded by the Trellis 3 programme for public art in East London.

Between 2018 and 2021, I was part of a group of academics and designers who led a participatory planning process in the refugee-hosting town of Bar Elias in Lebanon. First, hosts and refugees jointly investigated how infrastructural arrangements exacerbated local vulnerabilities. Then they proposed solutions to make public space more accessible and inclusive. Two years after the changes were implemented, they evaluated the impact of the spatial intervention. Find more details in this report and on the website of the design studio that led the process, Catalytic Action.

Funded by the British Academy’s Cities & Infrastructure programmes

I am working with Citizen Scientists and representatives of London councils to develop a new course for UCL’s Citizen Science academy. In the course, people without a formal educational background will acquire the research ethics and methods to collect and communicate policy-relevant data about food at the local level — including the differing costs of food, food deserts and the impact of innovative projects like community supermarkets.

Funded by the Bartlett Innovation Fund.