Sociological Approaches to Community-Led Design: A Case Study

• In Event: Integrating equity, Prioritizing Well-being: Application of Community-Engaged Methods to Work with Community Partners, Members, and Organizers

Abstract

This paper examines sociological approaches to community-led and participatory design through a case study of the Abolitionist Spaces Project, a design justice initiative based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The project demonstrates how sociological frameworks and methodologies can serve as critical tools for transforming design processes toward more equitable and socially responsible outcomes.

Design justice provides a framework for understanding design and architecture as socially embedded practices that can perpetuate existing social inequalities through the built environment. The Abolitionist Spaces Project integrates design justice principles with community-based sociological methods to engage youth, formerly incarcerated individuals, and community organizers as co-producers of design strategy, particularly in addressing design inequalities. Through participatory methodologies including Photovoice and photo-elicitation, participants generate visual and narrative data that document their lived experiences of public space. These participant narratives inform the collaborative identification of community assets, unmet needs, and design priorities for equitable placemaking.

This case study highlights how sociological inquiry and analysis can contribute to the operationalization of design justice principles. The insights developed through the Abolitionist Spaces Project can be applicable across urban design, architecture, public policy, and education. The project illustrates the potential of sociological tools to advance equity in design by expanding participation in design processes, and by incorporating collective experiential knowledge into the architecture of public space.

Author

• Amina D. Massey, Colloqate Design