The Mayfield masterplan under construction in Manchester renders it's surrounding communities vulnerable to displacement. These communities deserve to have purposeful and meaningful public space that is inclusive of all schedules, backgrounds and abilities. The communities are currently segregated into silos of communication, providing a living room encourages spontaneous connections across a diverse range of people and maintains them through trust built on social reciprocity.
In order to make these communities visible and give them ownership over their public realm, this thesis proposes a series of public living rooms to be appropriated by the community. The determination of common places within the public realm allows communities to feel less isolated and justifies our place in society by situating our opinions and experiences against others in a neutral, equal space. The neutrality of living rooms and control the community of Mayfield can exercise over them is key in finding this common ground and allows communities to feel power and agency. Establishing ownership over a place facilitates resistance to displacement. In turn the living room is facilitating this resistance.
