Theory and practice: The intellectual legacy of Prof. Yves Cabannes - UCL
ucl.ac.uk
The legacy of Prof. Yves Cabannes shows how participatory urbanism bridges the gap between abstract theory and real-world community transformation — and why that gap costs lives.
Participatory Action ResearchSystems TheoryPraxisPolitical Ecology
Theory Briefing
- Prof. Yves Cabannes built a career fusing systems theory with grassroots urban food and housing projects in cities across the Global South.
- His work at UCL's DPU championed participatory budgeting, proving that communities can co-design urban policy rather than merely receive it.
- Colleagues highlight how his praxis model — theory tested and reshaped through direct community action — challenges academia's tendency to keep ideas on the shelf.