Welcome to
Urban Inclusion

As an architect, urbanist, and migrant woman of colour, I’m acutely aware of this question. Henri Lefebvre, in his 1968 book “Le Droit à la ville,” argued that urban inhabitants should collectively shape their cities’ social, political, and economic dimensions. Yet, when I look around, I still don’t like the answer to this question.

I’m Safaa Charafi, the founder and principal consultant at Urban Inclusion. With a deep passion for creating inclusive and equitable urban environments, I specialize in the nexus of urban development, gender equality, and social inclusion (GESI). My work is driven by feminist, decolonial, and anti-capitalist principles, aiming to reshape our cities into spaces where everyone can thrive.

Born into a world that often sought to diminish my worth, I managed to rise above the constraints of society’s expectations. Growing up in Morocco, I’ve lived and worked in cities like Rabat, Paris, Vienna, Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Toronto, Istanbul, and Kigali.

Each city has enriched my perspective and enabled me to approach urban challenges with a unique, intersectional lens. With a background in architecture and urbanism and PhD research in criminology and human geography across two continents, I’ve deepened my insights into urban complexities.

My approach is rooted in the principles of spatial justice, linking social justice with space. This understanding recognizes that inequalities are both spatially and socially constructed, affecting housing, safety, accessibility, and a sense of belonging in public spaces.Over the years, I’ve collaborated with diverse communities across Europe, Africa, and the MENA region, driven by a singular ambition: to cultivate spatial justice.

At Urban Inclusion, my goal is clear: to transform cities into places of justice and inclusivity, where everyone has the right to shape the urban spaces they live in.