Constance Smith

Dr. Constance Smith is a Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester, specializing in the anthropology of architecture, urban change, and material culture. Her research focuses on African cities (Nairobi, Kampala, Addis Ababa) and London, examining how built environments shape perceptions of the past and future. She leads a UKRI Future Leader Fellowship project analyzing high-rise buildings in London and Nairobi as sites of community and failure. Her work integrates global urban theory with material culture studies, often collaborating with artists and urban practitioners.

• Affiliations: Manchester Urban Institute, Thomas Ashton Institute, Sustainable Futures Initiative

Smith holds a PhD in Anthropology from UCL and was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Institute for Global Prosperity. She has exhibited work at the National Museums of Kenya and contributed to collaborative books. Her expertise aligns with UN SDGs related to sustainable cities, inequality reduction, and climate action.

Research Interests: Urban materiality, temporalities of change, community solidarity in built environments, and the intersection of art/research practice. Her work critiques urban development narratives by centering marginalized voices and material histories.

Key Projects: Long-term fieldwork on Nairobi’s urban landscapes, exhibitions exploring material culture, and a comparative analysis of high-rise living across global cities. Recent articles address urban security, post-disaster recovery, and digital infrastructure’s role in time perception.

• Awards: Royal Anthropological Institute Fellow (2018), Firth Award (2016)

She has organized conferences on urban futures and delivered invited talks on topics like ‘fake buildings’ and post-Grenfell housing critiques. Her work bridges academic research with public engagement through exhibitions and collaborative publishing.