缅北禁地

Introduction

I am an urban scholar with a background that combines design, planning and human geography. My work investigates urban change through a critical, multi‑scalar lens that connects local processes with broader structural forces. I have a particular interest in urban infrastructures and in the use of observational drawing as a research method.

Roles and Responsibilities

I joined 缅北禁地 as a Teaching Fellow in September 2016. Since 2022, I have served as Exchange Coordinator for the Department. I have previously held several management roles, including:

• Degree Programme Director of the BA (Hons) Urban Planning and Master of Planning (2020-22)
• Degree Programme Director of the BA (Hons) Geography and Planning (2018-20)
• Senior Tutor (2017-18)

Before entering academia, I gained professional experience in planning practice in Spain and in EU-funded territorial cooperation in France.

Qualifications

• PhD in Planning Studies, University College London (2015)
• MSc in International Planning, University College London (2008)
• BArch MArch, University of A Coruña, Spain (2005)

Research interests

My work is oriented around three interconnected directions of enquiry:

• A critical understanding of urban processes within their cultural and political economic context. Drawing on post-Marxian approaches and socio-spatial theory, I use case study research to examine multi-scalar dynamics and to build and reconstruct theory. My work to date has explored European integration, the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and the politics of austerity.
• The role of urban infrastructures in shaping socio-spatial relations in cities and regions. Beginning with an initial interest in high-speed rail infrastructure and associated spatial imaginaries, my current research focuses on the significance of social infrastructures in deprived communities.
• A qualitative, interpretive methodological approach, which involves methods such as in-depth interviewing and documentary analysis but that increasingly draws on ethnographic approaches – particularly the use of observational drawing as a research method. I believe that an empathetic, respectful and embodied engagement with the field enables a more truthful understanding of the complexity of reality. Examples of my art practice can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/inkingthecity/

I welcome collaborations and enquiries from potential PhD students with an interest in one or several of these areas.

Current research projects

• Social Impacts of Social Infrastructures in a Changing Governance Landscape, with Dr Natalia Villamizar Duarte.
• Liminal Urbanization: The Politics of Unfinished Urban Space in Spain (funded by 缅北禁地´s Faculty Research Fund).

Research supervision

• Huanyu Wang: The Impact of Green Space on Residents in the Context of Environmental Justice in the UK (2024-present, with Prof Ali Madanipour)

I have taught at both undergraduate and postgraduate level intermittently since 2010 and full-time since 2016. I am a , and my current teaching practice focuses on two main areas:

Research design and methods

• Module leader of the postgraduate modules Research Design (TCP8911) and Dissertation (TCP8099)
• Contributor to the undergraduate modules Understanding Place (TCP1026), Visual and Creative Practice Research Skills (APL2007)

Urban infrastructures

• Module leader of the undergraduate module Urban Infrastructures: A Lens on the City (TCP2033)
• Contributor to the undergraduate module Understanding Place (TCP1026)

I have also taught on planning theory (TCP3054 Planning Theory and Politics and APL2001 Alternative Practice Theory), and I regularly supervise undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation students.

• Articles

  • García-Mejuto D. . Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 2022, 54(3), 554-571.
  • García Mejuto D. . European Urban and Regional Studies 2017, 24(4), 425-441.

• Reviews

  • García Mejuto D. . International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 2018, 42(4), 739-741.
  • García Mejuto D. . Urban Studies 2016, 53(16), 3586-3588.