Category: Blog

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Blog Impact Loughborough Stories Scoping Project TOWN Observatory

Mapping Heritage Toolkit Workshop

The Mapping Heritage Toolkit Workshop on Tuesday, 21 July, marks the official launch and introduction of the toolkit. If you enjoy local history, lead a community group, or just want to explore how maps and storytelling work together, this toolkit provides a guide through 12 simple steps to co-creating a story map.

The steps were developed by the TOWN Observatory and the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group (LLLSVG), drawing on real experience of collaboration to build a story map from the beginning. Each step includes practical examples from LLLSVG projects concerning the Medieval Loughborough trail, Art Deco trail, and the Market Place, to provide insight into how ideas work in practice.

The toolkit presents a clear structure, providing one approach to creating a story map. Each step highlights key points for consideration in the synthesis of local knowledge, analogue resources, idea development, and creative execution using digital platforms.

For details scan the QR code below or register here.

Organising team
Dr Robert G. Harland
Dr Cristina A. Goldschmidt Kiminami
Pegah Aftabi
Greta Chen

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Blog Events Scoping Project The Impact Hub TOWN Observatory

Graphic heritage and cultural mapping: an anti-disciplinary perspective

Photo of the hybrid presentation, Dr Robert Harland presenting online from the UK and Dr Cristina Kiminami presenting in person.

On 19 May, the Federal University of Pelotas in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil hosted a presentation titled “Graphic Heritage and Cultural Mapping: an Anti-Disciplinary Perspective,” delivered by Dr Robert Harland and Dr Cristina A. G. Kiminami. Organised by the Specialisation Course in Digital Graphics and the Prograu Postgraduate Program in Architecture and Urbanism, the event attracted approximately 50 attendees.

The presentation provided new perspectives on the intersections of graphic heritage and cultural mapping, highlighting the significance of anti-disciplinary approaches in examining these topics. Dr. Harland and Dr. Kiminami facilitated active discussions and promoted the exchange of ideas, contributing to a productive session. They supported their argument by sharing an interpretation of anti-discplinary as:

Good scholarship must involve a tension between ‘discipline’ and ‘anti-discipline’ therefore. My starting point is that one of the most fruitfulways of maintaining this tension is through deep immersion in a discipline, combined with theconstant subjecting of knowledge deriving fromthe discipline to that developed in others (Harriss, 2002).

Participants commended the event for its innovative approach and the opportunity to engage with experts in the field. The presentation was considered successful and demonstrated the TOWN Observatory’s commitment to promoting dialogue and collaboration in digital graphics, heritage studies, and urbanism.

Acknowledgements: with thanks to Dr Tássia Vasconselos, lecturer in Architecture and Urbanism and coordinator of the Specialisation Course in Digital Graphics.

Harriss, J. (2002) ‘The case for cross-disciplinary approaches in international development’, World Development, 30(3), pp. 487–496.

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Blog Events Impact Loughborough University Scoping Project TOWN Observatory

Art Deco Trail pesented at the Loughborough Heritage Forum

The development of Loughborough’s fabulous Art Deco Trail is the the latest collaboration between researchers at Loughborough University and the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group (LLLSVG). The project was shared with members of the Loughborough Heritage Forum on 29 April 2026.

Above: Lougborough’s Art Deco Trail map – Click on the map to download the full leaflet.

Having attended the Forum several times since 2024, the TOWN Observatory was invited to become a permanent member. Chaired by Kathy Phillips, from the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group, the Forum meets three times a year. Each in attendance is provided with the opportunity to share their heritage interests and activities, and the meetings are minuted.

Top: Chairperson Kathy Phillips from LLLSVG introducing the meeting of the Loughborough Heritage Forum. Middle: David Kirkby, and Christine Harris absorbed in discussion about the Art Deco Trail leaflet. Bottom: Leaflets about Art Deco Loughborough and Medieval Loughborough.

Sponsored by the Loughborough Building Society, the Forum provides opportunity to connect regularly with some of Loughborough’s main heritage providers, as well as several independent contributors who bring diverse perspectives. Many attendees are well known to each other.

Loughborough Heritage Forum members

All Saints with Holy Trinity Loughborough Parish Church

Artspace Loughborough

Beaumanor Hall

Charnwood Arts;

Charnwood Borough Council

Culture Leicestershire

Friends of Charnwood Museum

Friends of Garendon Park

Go Leicestershire

Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society

Loughborough Building Society

Loughborough Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum Trust

Loughborough Grammar School

Loughborough Library

Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group

Loughborough Building Society

Love Loughborough

Lynne about Loughborough

Taylor’s Bellfoundry Trust

The Generator

The Rectory Wildlife Gardeners

Rainbows

Sock Gallery

Victoria County History Trust

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Blog Events Loughborough Stories Scoping Project TOWN Observatory

Storytelling with Maps webinar

On 18th March, 2026, the Living Knowledge Network – British Library hosted Dr. Cristina Kiminami and Dr. Robert Harland from Loughborough University, who presented their Heritage Mapping project. In collaboration with the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group (LLLSVG), the project explored the potential for using the ArcGIS StoryMaps digital platform to combine stories, interactive maps, videos, photos and local history in an engaging experience that makes history easy and accessible for all.

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Images from the webinar, from left to right: (1) Dr Robert Harland introduces the creation of the Medieval Loughborough project; (2) Dr Cristina A. G. Kiminami explains how the collaboration worked, (3) David Kirkby (right) from LLLSVG answering questions from the audience from the volunteer group’s perspective.

This relationship shows how local history and archives can reach more people through open dialogue, co-creation and the development of digital literacy. The webinar shared valuable ideas for local studies librarians, archivists, volunteers and anyone interested in urban heritage, revealing how storytelling and community involvement can bring history to life when universities and local community groups work together.

Watch the full recording of the presentation here.

Acknowledgements: with thanks to Krisztina Lackoi and Zuzzanna Needham for the wonderful opportunity and to David Kirkby for representing the amazing LLLSVG team.

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Blog Loughborough Stories TOWN Observatory

StoryMaps Workshop with the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group

The photo above shows the participants and Dr Cristina G Kiminami during the StoryMaps workshop.

This morning at Loughborough University, the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group (LLLSVG) took part in a hands-on workshop led by Dr Cristina G. Kiminami, with assistance from Pegah Aftabi. The session focused on ArcGIS StoryMaps, a digital platform for making interactive, map-based stories.

The LLLSVG and the TOWN Observatory have worked closely together since January 2025, with excellent results. The recent StoryMaps workshop was part of ongoing activity to support the volunteers to develop new digital skills.

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Above: (1) & (2) Everyone enjoyed some very welcome refreshments before the workshop; (3) (4) (5) Participants each worked on their StoriesMaps with Dr Cristina G. Kiminami providing guidance and support throughout the session.

The group learned the basics of the ArcGIS StoryMaps platform and how it can be used to share Loughborough’s history in interesting new ways. They each learned how to upload images, videos and audio, and how to create stories about the local area. Everyone was enthusiastic and keen to see what digital storytelling can do.

Learning how to use StoryMaps gives the Local Studies volunteers a new set of skills for sharing their historical research with the public, ensuring Loughborough’s heritage stories are preserved and go on to be re-shared into the future.

The workshop was another great example of the successful partnership between the TOWN Observatory and the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group. Further drop-in sessions with the group are scheduled to happen soon!

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Above: (1) & (2) LLLSVG and TOWN Observatory members who participated in the ArcGIS StoryMaps workshop.

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Blog TOWN Observatory

Talk about TOWN

This Loughborough Urban Heritage Doctoral Colloquium brought together four doctoral researchers from Loughborough University’s School of Design and Creative Arts to share their insights into urban heritage. Their research topics are outlined as follows.

Pegah Aftabi (Year three) · ‘Urban heritage’ is a concept used across a variety of fields; yet it extends far beyond expert-defined, monument-centric structures. Urban heritage is a present-centred, continuously evolving phenomenon defined by everyday interactions between communities and their environments. My research adopts a participatory methodology to study urban heritage from the local communities’ perspective in Loughborough. The project ultimately aims to create a digital map of community-centred heritage, not only to preserve heritage but to empower communities to understand their role in, and take greater responsibility for, its preservation.

Greta Chen (Year two) · My research investigates how locative narratives can be co-created to support the understanding, representation and constitution of everyday heritage. Focusing on Loughborough Market as a pilot site, I designed and deployed cultural probes to collect narratives rooted in lived experiences conveying cultural-heritage significance. Analysis identified four themes: spatiality, temporality, sensoriality and social context, which inform a narrative framework for the next stage: an AI-assisted co-design process for locative media and a distributed and inclusive heritage experience in everyday environments to foster community connection.

Sheida Yazdan Joo (Year one) · Leicester’s urban heritage is shaped by migration, cultural diversity and its representation through visual media. My research examines how film and photography construct narratives of the city, drawing on archival materials and contemporary practices. Through analysing the visual contributions of immigrant communities, the study highlights the role of imagery in placemaking, collective memory and the interpretation of Leicester’s evolving cultural landscape. It aims to situate these representations within broader debates on urban identity and heritage.

Alison Mott (Year one) · My practice-based research explores how participatory and co-creative storytelling activities centred on a town’s industrial textile heritage can bring to light overlooked experiences, strengthen the historical record and foster an individual and collective sense of wellbeing. Through oral history collection, creative-writing activities and intergenerational workshops involving older residents and university textile-design students, I examine how personal narratives can be elicited and shared, generating new forms of heritage knowledge and reshaping perceptions of place and the built environment.

Programme

12:00 Arrive

12:10 Welcome

12:15 TOWN Observatory overview

Speakers

12:30 Pegah Aftabi – The local community perspective

12:45 Greta Chen – Everyday heritage

13:00 Alison Mott – Industrial textile heritage

13:15 Sheida Yazdan Joo – Migration and cultural diversity

13:30 Discussion

13:45 End

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Blog Events Impact Loughborough University The Impact Hub TOWN Observatory

Urban Latitude: Local Perspectives on Global Objectives

Webinar week 1

Webinar week 2

Webinar week 3

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Blog Events Impact The Impact Hub TOWN Observatory

Loughborough University Researchers Present Urban Analytics Solutions at UK Sport Event Managers Workshop

The UK Sport Event Managers Workshop

Four researchers from Loughborough University’s Impact Hub delivered a series of presentations at the UK Sport Event Managers Workshop recently, showcasing the innovative application of geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence for urban planning and decision-making.

Dr Taimaz Larimian, along with Mohamed Shamroukh, Mihyun Kim and Dr Mohammad Forghani, presented twelve sessions to delegates from across UK sports and national governing bodies, demonstrating key platforms developed by the Impact Hub: the Town Observatory, Colouring Britain, and Loughborough in Motion.

Research Applications

Their presentations focused on the integration of large-scale geospatial data with machine learning, deep learning and computer vision technologies, showing how the platforms enable urban stakeholders to:

  • Support evidence-based decision-making processes
  • Enhance emergency response coordination
  • Optimise resource allocation strategies
  • Analyse current urban behavioural patterns
  • Forecast future urban development trends

The team’s research generated a lot of interest from attendees, with delegates identifying numerous potential applications within the sports and events sector. One participant described the work as ‘mind blowing,’ reflecting the strong reception of an interdisciplinary approach to urban analytics.

Distinguished Speakers

The event also featured presentations by Professor Nick Jennings CB FRS FREng and Professor Georgina Cosma, who discussed the responsible integration of artificial intelligence across multiple domains and the role of university research in advancing the safe implementation of AI.

Acknowledgements

The team would like to thank Verity Postlethwaite for organising the event and facilitating this valuable exchange between academic researchers and sports sector professionals.

The work for the presentations was conducted under the supervision of Dr Asya Natapov and Dr Taimaz Larimian, with contributions from Impact Hub team members Dr Rob Harland, Dr Falli Palaiologou, Dr Aline Fernandes, Dr Cristina A. Goldschmidt Kiminami, Dr John Weightman and Pegah Aftabi.

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Blog TOWN Observatory

What is Urban Data? A Novice’s Perspective

In Issue 4 of The Urban Observatory Newsletter, published by the UN-Habitat Global Urban Observatory Unit, Dr Rob Harland explores what is meant by ‘urban data’ from the perspective of someone relatively new to this emerging phenomenon. He draws attention to five categories of big data as being:

1. Sensor data on urban infrastructure and moving objects.

2. User data on society and humans.

3. Governmental administration data.

4. Customer and transaction.

5. Arts and humanities data.

In utilising a basic typology of settlement size (as shown in the ABOUT section), he counter-argues for an appreciation of ‘urban small data’ to reflect the rural end of the settlement spectrum. Rob’s argument reminds us of the UN’s pledge to ‘leave no one behind’, by ensuring that we ‘observe’ how people live in all settlement sizes.

Illustration Source: The Urban Observatory Newsletter UN-HABITAT Issue 4 Oct 2025*

To read the full article, download the newsletter directly here, or review all issues on the Urban Observatories website.

* Adapted from: Waugh D. (2000) Geography: an integrated approach, Walton-on-Thames: Nelson. p. 300

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Blog Loughborough Stories PhD The Impact Hub TOWN Observatory

RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2025, Birmingham

The University of Birmingham campus, host of the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2025

The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Annual International Conference took place at the University of Birmingham this year, running from 26 to 29 August 2025. Chaired by Professor Patricia Noxolo, the conference brought together more than 2,000 delegates from around the world, including geographers, researchers, practitioners and students. This year’s theme was ‘Geographies of Creativity / Creative Geography’, which sparked discussions about how creativity shapes the way people understand places, communities and environments. With over 400 sessions held across the four days, the programme ranged from creative methods and digital geographies to cultural landscapes, environmental change, indigenous knowledge systems and community-led research.

Loughborough University doctoral researcher Pegah Aftabi gave a presentation about her work during the Digital Creativity and Placemaking session of the conference. Her research explores how communities engage with heritage in their everyday lives and how their experiences can be recognised, mapped and shared with others through the use of digital tools. Pegah’s presentation highlighted the potential for digital platforms to make community perspectives more visible. By allowing people to share the places, practices and stories that matter to them, these tools open up opportunities for more inclusive conversations about what counts as heritage in a city.

Pegah Aftabi presenting about placemaking through digital narratives at the RGS 2025

Pegah also emphasised how this kind of digital work can support community-led planning, helping planners and policymakers move beyond official heritage listings to a better understanding of what residents value in their daily environments. Working with digital mapping in local communities isn’t without its challenges, Pegah acknowledged, citing people’s varying levels of digital literacy, differences in their access to technology and the need to be mindful of cultural sensitivities and privacy when collecting and sharing personal or community knowledge.

The presentation was followed by a panel discussion in which participants reflected on the role of digital creativity in placemaking. The conversation was lively and engaging, with ideas exchanged about how digital tools can support community participation and collaborative design. Pegah joined in with this discussion, sharing insights from her own research into how community-centred heritage and digital mapping can contribute to placemaking.

A number of other sessions and presentations were delivered during the conference by Impact Hub team members Dr. Taimaz Larimian, Mihyun Kim and Mohamed Shamroukh.