Dr Catalina Pollak Williamson is an architect, urban researcher, and Senior Lecturer at the University of East London. Her work explores how communities can play a stronger role in shaping the places where they live, especially in areas facing inequality or rapid urban change. Working with residents, civic organisations, and local institutions, she uses participatory and creative methods to open spaces for civic learning and collective experimentation, where local communities can share knowledge, imagine alternatives, and take a more active role in shaping processes of urban transformation. Her current work includes a digital mapping platform that helps people record and share what matters in their neighbourhoods, so that lived experience can inform more grounded and context-sensitive decision-making.