Dr Beatrice De Carli (she/her)
MSc, PhD, FHEA
School of Architecture and Landscape
Senior Lecturer
Full contact details
School of Architecture and Landscape
Arts Tower
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
- Profile
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My work explores questions of urban transformation and justice through design thinking and practice, engaging in interdisciplinary conversations across architecture, urbanism, and development studies. Since 2013, I have co-led Architecture Sans Frontières UK (ASF-UK), a non-profit organisation dedicated to co-creating fairer cities.
My research centres on urban governance, democracy, and the transformative potential of community-led approaches to city design and planning. Grounded in critical architecture and spatial practice, I employ co-creative methods to engage with self-organisation and co-production processes in fragile urban contexts, addressing the challenges of equitable urban change. Currently, I am an AHRC Innovation Scholar (2023–2026), seconded to ASF-UK to conduct practice-based research in this area.
In my teaching, I cover both design studio and history and theory subjects, developing methodologies that encourage collaborative engagement with cities while mentoring student-led projects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. As Programme Leader of the MA Urban Design at the University of Sheffield from 2014 to 2020, I played a significant role in innovating the curriculum and was honoured with a Senate Award for my contributions to education.
- Qualifications
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- PG Cert in Learning and Teaching, University of Sheffield (2018)
- PhD in Architecture and Urbanism, Politecnico di Milano (2011)
- MSc in Architecture (integrated), Politecnico di Milano (2005)
- Professional Qualification in Architecture, Architects Registration Board of Milan (2006)
- Research interests
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My research intersects architecture, urbanism, and development studies, driven by a commitment to creating just and sustainable urban futures. I focus on questions of urban governance, democracy, and civic participation, emphasising community-led approaches to city design and planning. Grounded in critical architecture and spatial practice, my approach employs design methods to engage with processes of self-organisation and co-production, contributing to interdisciplinary debates on equitable urban change.
This research is organised into two main strands:
Community-led Design and Planning: I investigate the principles and methodologies of community-led design and planning, particularly in fragile and contested urban areas. Much of my work is practice-based, exemplified by my role as Managing Associate at Architecture Sans Frontières UK, supported by an AHRC Innovation Scholars grant (PI, 2023–2026). I also connect this research to discussions on the commons in collaboration with the Urban Commons Research Collective (2019–present).
Urban Knowledges: I explore the epistemological foundations, theoretical frameworks, and learning processes that shape decision-making in cities. Grounded in critical thought, this inquiry examines how urban knowledge is constructed and how diverse experiences and perspectives can influence urban design, planning, and policymaking. Funded projects include Researching Alternate Urban Methods (Joint PI, 2016–2018), DESINC – Designing Inclusion (PI, 2016–2018), and DESINC Live – Designing and Learning in the Context of Migration (Co-I, 2019–2022).
- Publications
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Edited books
- Cities to be tamed? Spatial investigations across the urban South. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Journal articles
- Situated perspectives on the city: a reflection on scaling participation through design. Environment and Urbanization, 33(2), 376-395.
- Insurgent Regeneration: Spatial Practices of Citizenship in the Rehabilitation of Inner-City São Paulo. GeoHumanities, 2(2), 331-353. View this article in WRRO
- Micro-resilience and justice: co-producing narratives of change. Building Research and Information, 44(7), 775-788. View this article in WRRO
- Learning amidst urban practices: reflections on Architecture Sans Frontières. Charrette, 2(1), 46-46. View this article in WRRO
- Regeneration through the ‘Pedagogy of Confrontation’: Exploring the Critical Spatial Practices of Social Movements in Inner City São Paulo as Avenues for Urban Renewal. Dearq Revista de Arquitectura / Journal of Architecture(16), 146-161. View this article in WRRO
- Critical learning in the studio: A pedagogical note. Urban Pamphleteer(5), 46-47.
- Which university/which city. Trajectories in academic civic engagement. Territorio, 66, 64-68.
- City/University. Experiences of civic engagement. Territorio, 66, 16-17.
- Nonpassive grounds. Refiguring the residual landscape: A case in Milan. Territorio, 60, 102-106.
- Counter-mapping. A case in Nairobi. Territorio, 61, 104-109.
- Finding common ground on the threshold: An experiment in critical urban learning. Planning Theory.
Chapters
- São Paulo, The Routledge Handbook on Informal Urbanization (pp. 259-269). Routledge
- Micro-resilience and justice in São Paulo, Architecture and Resilience (pp. 88-104). Routledge
- Informal trajectories of housing in San Siro, Milan In Cellamare C & Cognetti F (Ed.), Practices of reappropriation (pp. 194-198). Milan: Planum Publishers.
- The Routledge Handbook on Informal Urbanization In Rocco R & van Ballegooijen J (Ed.) Routledge
Conference proceedings papers
- Collective actions for local resilience: Learning from grassroots strategies in São Paulo. Architecture and Resilienceon the Human Scale (pp 413-422). Sheffield, 10 September 2015 - 12 September 2015.
- Learning amidst urban practices. 2nd Annual AAE Conference 2014 Living and Learning (pp 135-139). Sheffield, 3 September 2014 - 5 September 2014.
Reports
- Change by Design: Reimagining regeneration through participatory design in Cape Town
- Change by Design: Collective imaginations for contested sites in Euston
- Change by Design: New spatial imaginations for Los Pinos
Working papers
- Contested Territories: Lessons from Interdisciplinary Dialogues on Conflict, Resistance and Alternatives in Latin America. Contested Territories Working Paper Series, 1. View this article in WRRO
- Cities to be tamed? Spatial investigations across the urban South. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
- Grants
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External Grants
Transforming Architecture in Development: Principal Investigator (London Metropolitan University and University of Sheffield), funded by UKRI AHRC Development Grants – Innovation Scholars, £177,000 (2023–2026), in partnership with Architecture Sans Frontières UK.
DESINC Live – Designing and Learning in the Context of Migration: Co-Investigator (London Metropolitan University), funded by EC Erasmus+ Key Action 203, £439,000 (2019–2022), in partnership with Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Refugees Welcome Italia (Italy), KU Leuven (Belgium), Universität der Künste Berlin (Germany), S27 Art and Education (Germany), Architecture Sans Frontières UK.
Contested Territories in Latin America: Co-Investigator (University of Sheffield), funded by White Rose Collaboration Fund, £10,890 (2019–2020), in partnership with University of Leeds and University of York.
DESINC – Designing Inclusion: Principal Investigator (University of Sheffield), funded by EC Erasmus+ Key Action 203, £255,000 (2016–2019), in partnership with KU Leuven (Belgium), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Architecture Sans Frontières International, Housing Europe.
RAUM – Researching Alternate Urban Methods: Joint Principal Investigator (University of Sheffield), funded by EC Erasmus+ Key Action 1, £233,000 (2016–2018), in partnership with CEPT (India), Nanjing University (China), University of Johannesburg (South Africa).
Internal Grants and Seed Funding (Selection)
Mapping Social Infrastructure: Joint Principal Investigator (London Metropolitan University), funded by University of Nottingham and London Metropolitan University, £20,000 (2022–2023), in partnership with Latin Elephant, The Brixton Project, Transforming Notts Together.
Lines through the City: Joint Principal Investigator (London Metropolitan University), funded by London Metropolitan University, £19,800 (2021), in partnership with Architecture Sans Frontières UK, Community Empowerment Support Organisation, Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre, University of Sierra Leone.
Insurgent Regeneration: Joint Principal Investigator (Politecnico di Milano), funded by Universidade Federal do ABC, University of Sheffield, and Santander Mobility Grant, £15,000 (2013–2016), in partnership with Wits University (South Africa).
The Heuristics of Mapping Urban Environmental Change: Co-Investigator (Politecnico di Milano), funded by University College London, £12,000 (2012–2013), in partnership with Megawra Built Environment Collective (Egypt), Universidade Federal do ABC (Brazil).
- Teaching interests
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I have been teaching architecture and urbanism since 2006, initially as a teaching assistant and design tutor at Politecnico di Milano (2006–2013) and KU Leuven (2011–2013). In 2014, I transitioned to a full-time academic role at the School of Architecture, University of Sheffield, where I have served from 2014 to 2020 and again from 2024 to the present. I also held a position at the School of Art, Architecture and Design, London Metropolitan University from 2020 to 2024.
At the University of Sheffield, I have engaged actively in teaching across all levels, with a strong emphasis on Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research (PhD) programmes. My contributions have focused on foregrounding participatory approaches to city-making, particularly within the MA Urban Design programme, which I significantly shaped during my tenure as Programme Leader.
As both a researcher and practitioner, I am dedicated to exploring broader questions of justice in city-making. I strive to engage students through creative, critical, and collaborative methods, supporting them to mobilise their design knowledge towards achieving more equitable urban change.
- Teaching activities
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My teaching at the School of Architecture and Landscape, University of Sheffield, has encompassed a variety of roles
Undergraduate Courses: Contributions to humanities lecture courses and supervision of dissertations.
MArch RIBA Part 2: Contributions to design studios, supervision of dissertations, and leadership of the option module: Spatial Practice and Development.
Postgraduate Taught Programmes: Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes (2018–2020) and Programme Leader for MA Urban Design (2014–2020); teaching across all modules of the MA Urban Design.
Postgraduate Research Programmes: Supervision of PhD theses in architecture and urbanism, focusing on the theory and practice of co-design in cities.
- Professional activities and memberships
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Professional Contributions
- Managing Associate, Architecture Sans Frontières UK (2013–Present)
- Board Member, Architecture Sans Frontières International (2008–2017)
- Board Member, Architetti Senza Frontiere Italia (2007–2013)
Academic Contributions
- External Examiner, MA Global Development and Humanitarian Practice, Oxford Brookes University (2021–2024)
- Visiting Research Fellow, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano (2023)
- Visiting Teaching Fellow, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Johannesburg (2018)
- Visiting Research Fellow, Department of Planning, Universidade Federal do ABC (2014; 2015)
- Visiting Research Fellow, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London (2013)
- Visiting Teacher, Architectural Association (2013)
Memberships
- Member, Architectural Humanities Research Association (AHRA)
- Member, Development Studies Association (DSA)