Abstract
The intersection of queerness and spatial practice has often been framed through the presence of queer individuals rather than queerness as a spatial principle that can shape and create opportunities within the built environment. While individual identity remains important, this paper argues that applying a queer-informed spatial approach to architecture and landscape architecture introduces broader inclusive design considerations often absent in binary or heteronormative practice. The paper examines this through situating current theory and practice; and then testing these ideas in a speculative design proposal for Portobello Promenade. Through themes including adaptability, queer ecologies, accessibility, safety and visibility, the project demonstrates how queer spatial practice can inform a more fluid, responsive, and inclusive design response. The paper reflects on what it means to embed queer spatial principles within architecture and landscape architecture, and how these might create a space for marginalised ways of living and being.
Keywords
queerness, architecture, landscape architecture, inclusive practices
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2007
Citation
Watt, K., and Reid, A. (2026) Queering Portobello Promenade: testing ‘queer’ inclusive spatial design and thinking., in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2007
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Queering Portobello Promenade: testing ‘queer’ inclusive spatial design and thinking.
The intersection of queerness and spatial practice has often been framed through the presence of queer individuals rather than queerness as a spatial principle that can shape and create opportunities within the built environment. While individual identity remains important, this paper argues that applying a queer-informed spatial approach to architecture and landscape architecture introduces broader inclusive design considerations often absent in binary or heteronormative practice. The paper examines this through situating current theory and practice; and then testing these ideas in a speculative design proposal for Portobello Promenade. Through themes including adaptability, queer ecologies, accessibility, safety and visibility, the project demonstrates how queer spatial practice can inform a more fluid, responsive, and inclusive design response. The paper reflects on what it means to embed queer spatial principles within architecture and landscape architecture, and how these might create a space for marginalised ways of living and being.