Clare Rishbeth

Professor Clare Rishbeth is Professor of Inclusive Landscapes at the University of Sheffield's School of Architecture and Landscape, where she has held an academic position for over twenty years. She serves as Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and leads the 'Transcultural Urban Outdoors' research group, fostering collaboration between doctoral students and community stakeholders.

Her educational background includes an undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture from Leeds Metropolitan University and a diploma from the University of Sheffield. Professionally, she worked as a Landscape Architect for a Groundwork Trust near Slough, a Somerset district council, and as a guest tutor at Lahore's National College of Arts.

Rishbeth's research centers on migration histories and place experience, with two primary strands: Inclusive Public Open Spaces (examining informal sport participation, refugee integration, and conviviality in urban settings) and Diverse Nature Connections (exploring how nature supports mental wellbeing for migrants and youth). She emphasizes co-produced research with non-academic partners and participatory methodologies.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on marginalized groups' experiences in urban spaces, with increasing emphasis on co-creation with refugees, asylum seekers, and youth. Her work bridges ethnographic research with practical applications for inclusive design, particularly in superdiverse cities and conflict-affected contexts like Beirut.

As Principal Investigator, she secured major grants including AHRC's #Refugeeswelcome in Parks (£100,000), The Bench Project (£100,000), and ESRC's Walking Voices (£100,000). Current projects include ESRC-funded Just Turn Up (2022-24) on informal sport in superdiverse cities and NERC's Voices for the Future (2021-24) on youth climate activism. She also serves on Natural England's Social Science Expert Panel (2021-23).

Rishbeth actively supervises PhD students on urban migration and inclusion themes while teaching design studios that emphasize site visits and independent research. She leads the Place, Inclusion and Equity research cluster and contributes to Landscape Institute professional debates.