Project team

Professor Tom Goodfellow (Project Lead) is Professor of Urban Studies and International Development at the University of Sheffield. He specialises in international comparative urban research, focusing on questions of urban governance, access to land, infrastructure and services, and how conflicts over these are resolved. His work has mostly focused on Eastern Africa, including Ethiopia and Uganda, and on comparative projects with colleagues in Somalia.

Professor Paula Meth is a Professor of Southern Urbanism at the University of Glasgow. She is an expert on urban gender relations, masculinities and diary-based methodologies, providing specialist input on these aspects of the project. She has worked with marginalised urban communities on questions of housing, insecurity and access to services in various parts of the world including Ethiopia, India and South Africa.

Dr. Muna Abdi is an expert on UK Somali communities' experiences in relation to gender, education and racial discrimination. She is the Founder and CEO of MA Consultancy Ltd, which works with a wide range of client organisations to help them develop equitable and inclusive structures and practices.

Dr. Abdifatah Tahir is a Research Fellow on the project. He is an expert on urban land, infrastructure and conflict in Somalia, and is leading on the Somalia-based elements of the research.  

Dr. Cathy Wilcock is a Research Fellow on the project. She specialises in transnational political communities and diaspora activism. Her previous work has focused on Sudan, South Sudan and their diasporas in Europe. She is leading on the UK-based elements of the research. 

Jimale Mohammed is a PhD student based in the Department of Geography and Planning. His research interests are based on the political economy of urban space, with a particular focus on marginalised communities and participatory governance. His PhD is on the role of Refugee Community Organisations in the lives of immigrants, both new and established, in the context of the economisation and securitisation of immigration in the UK. 

Mubarak Hassan is a Community Services Officer for Sheffield City Council. He has over 25 years experience of working with communities and has a real passion for community development and co-production,. He has co-designed and delivered Community Cohesion work in Sheffield and Northern Ireland. His role o the project involves advising on issues relating to community engagement and policy influencing at the city level. 

Dr. Robert Keeling is a freelance researcher with a wide range of interests, including human rights, international development, community development, civil society, migration, and equality and diversity. He is multilingual with over 10 years experience in the voluntary sector in both London and Germany, especially in working with refugees and asylum seekers.