How to Reclaim Space: Spatial Justice Guide for Racial Equity

1.1 WHY

Having space is a right for everyone! This guide is a response to historical and present day spatial and racial injustices in Hackney. There is an urgent need to respond to the evictions of grassroots community groups and erasures of cultural spaces; and to the lack of acknowledgment of histories and contributions that black, brown and minority communities have given to Hackney. In this historical moment of BLM protests erupting around the world, and the inequalities the global pandemic has visibilised, our planet is slowly waking up to the racial injustices groups have always been facing. It is time to take collective action, be heard and claim your space in the city!

1.2 WHAT

Seven students from the London school of architecture have developed a new model of community and cultural infrastructure, built on community empowerment, mutual aid, sustainability and resilience.

This model highlights the importance of grassroots organisations and community groups who are fighting against structural and racist inequalities in society to provide support and care within their communities.

This is a design guide which looks at an alternative version of how these communities can support themselves and each other and acquire space away from government control, and looks at ways to fund these support networks, groups and places.

1.3 WHO

Positionality refers to the how differences in social position and power shape identities and access in society. This essential when working with communities of colour and the intersections of gender and queerness. We are a diverse group of people, with very different identities and backgrounds which have brought different perspectives to this project.

It was essential to outline our positionality in relation to this project and continually be aware, growing and (un)learning. We are tied to the project in different ways, and some of us are working within the communities we identify within. Nobody can fully understand the lived experiences of each other, but it was our aim to create a study intersectional in nature. Acknowledging the way race, gender, sexuality, economics and privilege overlap, as to ignore this is ignoring the experiences of many. A huge injustice in itself.

This report was generated by students from the DSDHA-led Design Think Tank on Spatial Justice at the London School of Architecture in 2020/21. The think tank aimed to explore design solutions that promote a fair, just, and inclusive city by identifying spatial injustices and examining the societal biases that contribute to these inequalities.

The DTT encouraged students to research, analyse, and map areas where injustice occurs, investigating how the built environment can foster diversity through design, activism, and co-production.

The students’ report presents a new vision for Hackney; one with racial justice at its core, proposing spatial interventions that challenge systemic inequalities and amplify marginalised voices. Their work envisions a borough shaped through co-authorship, where public spaces become platforms for care, representation, and civic empowerment.

This collaborative effort has been influential in evolving DSDHA’s practice methodology, seen in the publication of their own report, Towards Spatial Justice: A Co-design Guide, that emphasizes their role as spatial strategists committed to addressing inequities.