At the Confluence

Abstract

“At the Confluence” reflects on the practicalities of transferring theoretical knowledge on environmental stewardship into tangible design outcomes during a community-led design process for the Mathare River in Nairobi, Kenya.

Part of a practice-based research project, this exploration examines how theory and practice contribute to one another, and how concepts become practical outcomes. As any urban project is unavoidably composed of many such Trajectories – oscillating between best practice and regulations, between innovation and ‘business as usual’, … – the moment when these decisions are solidified merits attention. I call it the Confluence of Trajectories and use it as a checkpoint to observe how the ‘perfect’ theories from research papers become heavily negotiated and transformed.

Taking a methodological lens, I illustrate how the Theory of Change became an actionable tool to recognise, make tangible, and legitimise local environmental stewardship.