Lauren Mallon

My research seeks to understand the morphological, spatial, functional, environmental, and policy/political aspects of the emergence and nature of ‘interstitial spaces’ – the varied spectrum of undeveloped areas and open tracts that lie within, between, and beyond built-up areas and urban agglomerations – that contribute to the urbanisation process and the urban character of cities. This research will explore the conceptual side of interstices (what they are and the spatial scales at which they can manifest), and their environmental significance. Moreover, specific emphasis will be made in examining the political dimension(s) of interstitial spaces, specifically regarding the policy/political motives behind the production of them, their role in policy making to produce urbanised space, and what (underlying) politics they can unveil beyond institutionalised policy narratives and frameworks.

The aim of this research is to question the apparently inert nature of interstices, what interstices divide or connect, how empty they are, how they can be re-integrated or re-imagined, and/or how they contribute to the urbanisation of cities. Using a qualitative approach, the research will investigate these spaces within Belfast, as a post-violence city, with three case study areas to be determined. The three selected cases will provide a glimpse of the politicised and contested origins of Belfast’s interstices as politically-driven spaces, their derivatives, and their intended and unintended (unanticipated) – and at times downright perverse - effects in defining an integrated and socially just post-conflict city.