Rosanna Vitiello

What I am working on at the moment?

I’m working on how we can re-imagine the future of our cities in more collaborative ways. This combines storytelling skills and speculative design to shape places that respond to society’s changes and challenges. In practice that means a whole range of things: from working with The Museum of London to frame the story of the capital and Londoners in their new home at Smithfield Market; with communities in St Louis, Missouri, to kickstart a city-wide greenway built on equity and empathy; and co-founding Place Labs, a space that brings new voices into discussions on placemaking.

Why I wanted to join the Participatory City Foundation Board?

My family have lived in Barking and Dagenham for many years, and I’ve worked in research and regeneration projects across the borough. So I’ve seen how the place and culture is evolving, both personally and professionally. I wanted to be involved in its future on a deeper level and bring the expertise I’ve picked up elsewhere in the world back home. The ‘local/global’ approach at Participatory City is unique: working on the ground for real impact for local people, yet also a place to learn from. It’s a global benchmark to shift our aspirations of what city life could be. Barking and Dagenham has a lot to teach the world!

A little bit about my background

I am a cultural strategist and urban researcher focusing on how cities speak to us, and how we speak back. I explore how we experience places, what they mean to us, and how we share their stories. These aspects of places are often forgotten, but essential in building a sense of belonging and identity. I co-founded The Place Bureau to work with communities and design teams, understanding the culture of places and reimagine how we’d like them to change. I get involved in emerging urban districts all over the world — from rethinking London’s Euston, to new cultural districts in China, and re-thinking the future of Dagenham Dock closer to home. We learn most when we listen, so I’ve started platforms that do that — from community radio in Brooklyn, interview project Local Legends, or placemaking forum PlaceLabs. I’m also an RSA Fellow, and a Research Associate within the Socially Responsive Design and Innovation team at Central Saint Martins.