Space and Affect Lab is an academic community that focuses on gender, migration, globalization, multiculturalism, and urban cultural politics, with particular attention to the experiences and relationships of diverse actors who inhabit urban spaces. We begin from the premise that cities are not neutral physical environments, but dynamic arenas continually shaped by intersecting identities, power relations, mobility, and cultures.
We critically examine the spatial transformations produced by multicultural societies and international migration; the gendered production and use of urban spaces; and the differentiated urban experiences of minorities and other vulnerable groups. Drawing on qualitative approaches—including field visits, participant observation, and in-depth interviews—we seek to carefully interpret the complex realities of urban life. Through this work, we explore the possibilities for more just and inclusive cities and spatial planning in which difference is respected and diverse ways of living and sensing can coexist.
We critically examine the spatial transformations produced by multicultural societies and international migration; the gendered production and use of urban spaces; and the differentiated urban experiences of minorities and other vulnerable groups. Drawing on qualitative approaches—including field visits, participant observation, and in-depth interviews—we seek to carefully interpret the complex realities of urban life. Through this work, we explore the possibilities for more just and inclusive cities and spatial planning in which difference is respected and diverse ways of living and sensing can coexist.
