Diverse Dialogues The Podcast

Beyond Solutions: Safety Through Participation and Co-Design

In the final episode of our mini-series, Whose Safety? Rethinking Public Space for Women and Girls, Kuljeet is joined by Daisy Froud, strategist in participatory design, Mayoral Design Advocate, and member of the steering group behind the GLA’s guidance on Safety in Public Space, Women, Girls and Gender Diverse People. This conversation explores what safety really means when we move beyond solutions and into belonging, power, and the cultures that shape public space. Daisy reflects on how safety is formed long before any design reaches the site, through briefs, systems, politics and institutional attitudes that determine whose voices are heard and whose knowledge is valued. Together, we discuss why safety must be built with people; how co-writing briefs can create influence; the risks of performative engagement; and the links between safety, gentrification and belonging. As the series concludes, the conversation returns to a key insight: there is no single story of safety, it is lived, intersectional and constantly negotiated. Find out more or reach out to Diverse Dialogues here: Website [https://diversedialogues.co.uk/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/our_diversedialogues] Thank you to our collaborators: Edited and mixed by Wilfred Petherbridge Recorded with the Content Production Team at the London College of Fashion, Alex Marshall, Dan Adakpor, Nicholas Sargeant, and Oliver Furlong.   Music via Epidemicsound: Spectre in the Leaves, by DonVayei ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Lived Realities: Navigating Safety, Identity & Urban Life

In this second episode of our mini-series Whose Safety? Rethinking Public Space for Women and Girls, Kuljeet is joined by Bhav Ghedia, an East Londoner with a background in architecture, an advocate for inclusive cities, and a member of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s youth-led Elevate Board. Together, we unpack what safety looks and feels like in everyday life. Moving beyond design checklists or surveillance-led fixes, this conversation explores the quiet work many women, girls, and gender-diverse people do to stay safe: from route-planning, outfit considerations, and wayfinding strategies, to managing sensory overload, navigating seasonal restrictions, and the emotional and financial “tax” of simply getting home. Bhav speaks candidly about the intersectional realities that shape her experiences, revealing how identity fundamentally influences freedom of movement, confidence, and comfort in public space. Reach out to our guest, Bhav Ghedia, here: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhav-ghedia-0804201b1/?locale=de_DE&trk=people-guest_people_search-card] Find out more or reach out to Diverse Dialogues here: Website [https://diversedialogues.co.uk/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/our_diversedialogues] Thank you to our collaborators: Edited and mixed by Wilfred Petherbridge Recorded with the Content Production Team at the London College of Fashion, Alex Marshall, Dan Adakpor, Nicholas Sargeant, and Oliver Furlong.   Music via Epidemicsound: Spectre in the Leaves, by DonVayei ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Safety Beyond Surveillance: Feminist Urbanism in Practice

In the first episode of this three-part mini-series, Kuljeet speaks with Dr Ellie Cosgrave and Gaia Crocella from Publica CIC to explore what safety in public spaces really means for women and girls. Moving beyond assumptions, surveillance-led fixes, and design “quick wins,” this conversation unpacks the structural inequalities that shape how public space is experienced differently across gender, age, identity, and context. Ellie and Gaia bring forward a powerful combination of research, data, and lived experience, drawing on feminist urbanism and evidence-based methodologies. Together, they explore the gap between design intent and lived reality, and why meaningful participation is essential for reimagining safer, more equitable spaces. This episode sets the foundation for the series, highlighting that safety is not merely the absence of harm; it is about freedom, usability, belonging, and visibility. Find out more about the work Publica CIC does here: Website [https://publica.co.uk/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/publica_studio/] Find out more or reach out to Diverse Dialogues here: Website [https://diversedialogues.co.uk/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/our_diversedialogues] Thank you to our collaborators: Edited and mixed by Wilfred Petherbridge Recorded with the Content Production Team at the London College of Fashion, Alex Marshall, Dan Adakpor, Nicholas Sargeant, and Oliver Furlong.   Music via Epidemicsound: Spectre in the Leaves, by DonVayei ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

More Than Murals: Art as Provocation

Have you ever considered art as a powerful tool to readdress equity in public spaces? In this episode, we’re joined by Hanna Benihoud, an architect-turned-artist whose joyful, intentional public art is reshaping the way we experience our cities. Hanna shares her journey from architecture to establishing her own studio, and how her practice challenges tokenism in co-creation, reframes public art as a fundamental part of regeneration, and sparks dialogue around safety, belonging, and ownership in public spaces. From transforming tunnels and alleyways to spotlighting both the hidden and illuminating lived experiences of women, Hanna’s work sits at the intersection of art, activism, and social value. pushing the boundaries of where architecture ends and art begins. Find out more about Hanna’s work and practice here: Website [https://hannabenihoud.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/hanna_benihoud_studio/?hl=en-gb] Find out more or reach out to Diverse Dialogues here: Website [https://diversedialogues.co.uk/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/our_diversedialogues] Thank you to our collaborators: Edited and mixed by Wilfred Petherbridge Recorded with the Content Production Team at the London College of Fashion, Alex Marshall, Dan Adakpor, Nicholas Sargeant, and Oliver Furlong.   Music via Epidemicsound: Spectre in the Leaves, by DonVayei ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Rethinking Our Relationship with Land and Landscapes

Closing our mini-series on Waterden Green: Power, Place and Participation, I’m joined by Fenella Griffin, landscape architect, educator, and founding partner at Untitled Practice. This episode dives into what it takes to design spaces that genuinely reflect the lives of teenage girls, not just in principle, but in practice. Fenella speaks with clarity and care about landscape as more than terrain, but as a vehicle for justice, joy, and belonging. Our conversation moves between the personal and the political, uncovering how working with young women as co-creators shaped the design of Waterden Green in powerful ways. It’s a meaningful one for me, too, having seen first-hand how landscape architecture is often undervalued in development, this was a chance to spotlight its transformative potential when led with intention, collaboration, and deep respect for place. Discover more about Untitled Practice here: https://untitledpractice.com [https://untitledpractice.com/]   Find out more or reach out to Diverse Dialogues: https://diversedialogues.co.uk [https://diversedialogues.co.uk/] https://www.instagram.com/our_diversedialogues [https://www.instagram.com/our_diversedialogues]   Thank you to our collaborators: Edited and mixed by Wilfred Petherbridge Recorded with the Content Production Team at the London College of Fashion, Alex Marshall, Dan Adakpor, Nicholas Sargeant, and Oliver Furlong.   Music via Epidemicsound: Spectre in the Leaves, by DonVayei ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.