Mapping the unseen: recovering living heritage & supporting community-led relocation through data

This project uses a data-driven, participatory approach to support post-disaster relocation, exploring ‘living heritage’ to reflect people’s practices, values, and aspirations.

This project supports the equitable relocation of the Dom community in Antakya, Türkiye, following their exclusion from state-led resettlement after the 2023 earthquake.

Using a hybrid approach that combines participatory mapping, community-driven enumeration, and spatial analysis, the project documents the Dom’s lived experiences, cultural heritage, and relocation priorities. It aims to generate actionable data to strengthen the community’s advocacy for land and housing solutions that reflect their values. By integrating open-access digital tools with analogue methods, the project explores how data representing identity and aspiration can be collected and visualised in inclusive ways.

Outputs include a relocation map, a participatory methodology, and insights into ethical data practices in post-disaster contexts. The project contributes to the UCL Grand Challenge of Data Empowered Societies by demonstrating how data can support justice and resilience for marginalised communities.