معرفی
Matt Smith is a Research Fellow at the University of Brighton's School of Education, Sport and Health, affiliated with the Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender and the Centre for Arts and Wellbeing. He holds a PhD in Trans infrastructures from the University of Brighton (2024), an MSc in Social Research Methods from the University of Southampton (2018), and prior degrees in Human Geography and Geography & Politics. His research focuses on LGBTQ+ spatial justice, urban planning, and transgender embodiment, with emphasis on policy implications and queer methodologies.
Research interests include trans/non-binary urban experiences, critical spatial theory, and LGBTQ+ health disparities. He leads studies like GambLGBTQ+ (examining gambling harms in LGBTQ+ communities) and explores cycling accessibility for trans individuals through community zine projects. Recent work critiques colonial legacies in British planning and advocates for infrastructural approaches to support transgender lives.
Key projects include the GambLGBTQ+ mixed-methods study and a grant-funded investigation into trans experiences of urban cycling. His publications analyze policy exclusion of transgender communities, spatial justice in Brighton, and queer critiques of urban governance. Professional activities include organizing the 26th Lesbian Lives Conference and presenting at international urban studies forums.
Grants include a R&KE Development Fund award for cycling research. Collaborations span academic and community partners like LGBT Switchboard Brighton and YouGov. His PhD thesis Trans Infrastructures bridges lived experiences and planning theory to propose transformative urban policies.
