VIRTUAL Manchester Livable Cities

Abstract

Sense of place characterizes the dynamic relationship between people and spatial settings, shaping how individuals interact with, value, and perceive the affordances of their environment. In rapidly urbanising cities where both places and people are in constant flux, this relationship becomes particularly complex. A critical question emerges: how do we equip urban-dwelling youth with the tools to critically read, document, and actively shape the changing cities they inhabit? This paper presents findings from a five-year participatory research study embedded within an undergraduate course, proposing urban photo-ethnography as a transferable, generalist skill for youth capacity-building. Students were invited to explore sense of place in areas undergoing rapid urban change through foot-led ethnography, producing photographs and captions that drew interconnections between disparate objects, spaces, and people. The study employed environmental mapping to chart the intersections of culture, environment, history, politics, and economics within the urban fabric. Beyond research documentation, findings reveal photo-ethnography’s potential as a foundational skill for cultivating critical spatial awareness, visual literacy, and reflective practice among young urban dwellers. Drawing on the concept of the flâneur, participants developed capacities for affective and sensory mapping, capturing the microgeographies of urban life that conventional analytical methods overlook. These competencies translate directly into integrated stakeholder engagement, enabling youth to communicate lived experience and participate meaningfully in urban planning and governance. Findings suggest that embedding photo-ethnography within generalist youth education frameworks could significantly strengthen capacity-building, positioning young people as informed, empathetic, and visually articulate change agents in the co-production of more equitable urban futures.