Inclusive Spaces: Religious Infrastructure in the City

Religious spaces create fundamental value for communities in contemporary, multicultural cities like London. But developing these spaces is often met with resistance, and this can mean that communities are forced to rely on informal religious infrastructure in ‘unregistered’ spaces.

In this event, we’ll explore how Muslim and non-Muslim communities experience the creation of Muslim spaces, and how these communities connect – or face barriers – with city planners and planning authorities.

We’ll ask: Where is Islamophobia taking place? Do Muslims have to be ‘invisible’ to live in accordance with their belief among non-Muslim communities? What places enable communities to live and practice Islam safely and comfortably, both in London and across the UK?

We’ll also explore how the interconnection between religious ‘lived space’ and ‘religious ecology’ (people, objects, technology, ideas, and capacities) can enable the production and inclusion of religious life and infrastructure in cities.

Led by The Bartlett Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group, the Inclusive Spaces monthly series presents the latest ideas and research from The Bartlett’s leading thinkers in the built environment field. We explore disability, race, gender, LGBTQ+ and many other dimensions of diversity and discover how they intersect with built environments around the world.