VIRTUAL Lisbon Livable Cities
Abstract
This paper addresses a methodological gap in studying Leicester’s urban landscape, focusing on Belgrave Road, a vibrant neighbourhood known for its South Asian migrant community. We employ a novel visual methodology to capture lived experiences and urban dynamics, drawing on theories of urban fragmentation (McFarlane, 2021), spatial justice (Soja, 2016), transnational migration (Faist, Fauser and Reisenauer, 2013) and reading the city (Lynch, 1960). Our observational drawing method is underpinned by Ingold’s (2000) ‘dwelling-perspective’, Low and Lawrence-Zúñiga’s (2003) anthropological perspective on ‘embodied-space’ and Merleau-Ponty’s (1962) phenomenological argument of embodiment and perception. Expanding on Lynch (1960), we introduce a temporal dimension, conducting observations during festive and non-festive periods to capture the urban dynamic nature and cultural transformations. This offers techniques for interdisciplinary studies of multicultural urban spaces in the UK and beyond through a non-Western, inclusive lens. We examine various urban typologies, including retail spaces, residential areas, community hubs and spaces of change, with special attention to culturally significant elements. This approach supports the detailed examination of Belgrave Road as the central focus, further exploring Harrison Road and Ross Walk as artery routes to understand residents’ everyday lives. As a result, this paper utilises visual representations of drawings and mappings to show how migrant populations within the Belgrave area negotiate and repurpose their new urban and architectural environments through imported socio-cultural interactions/practises and small-scale spatial agencies. This placement emphasises how the study’s focus on a multicultural urban space and its methodological approach relates to the conference’s central theme of ‘Communities and Cultures’.
Dr Anisha Meggi’s PhD research focuses on the Indo-Portuguese residential architecture od Diu Town, India. The research underpins topic areas such as urban regeneration, adaptive reuse of heritage structures, colonial interventions on Indian urban landscapes along with the people, cultures and architecture that have assimilated as a result. Dr Anisha specialises on the complex and interwoven urban context of South Asia with a focus on hybrid colonial/native architecture and its resultant effects on current urban issues like adaptive reuse, sustainable material use, transnational migration, and wider
Devika Bahadur is a PhD student in Cultural Studies exploring the intersection of material culture and masculinity in India, contrasting it with European perspectives on home. Her research challenges traditional notions of masculinity and domesticity in non-Western contexts. With a Master’s in Fashion and Textiles, she combines theoretical knowledge and creative practice in her work. In addition to her academic pursuits, she has a passion for poetry. Her poem “Dusty Box” was published in the Critical Studies on Security Journal. Devika’s research interests include displaced bodies, masculinities and object biographies.
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Friday 11th July, 2025