Intersectional Lives: Participatory Video for Inclusive Urban Imaginaries

Participatory Video (PV) has emerged as a powerful methodological tool in urban studies, offering a platform to uncover complex social realities and challenge dominant narratives through community-driven storytelling. This paper critically examines our experience in the PopuLab employing PV within the applied research project Gridding Equitable Urban Futures in Areas of Transition in Cali, Colombia (GREAT) . Along the research process we deployed a collaborative video agenda called "Intersectional Lives" to explore the multiple experiences of residents in self-built neighborhoods.

Our methodology centered on engaging diverse community members, including LGTBIQ individuals, people with functional diversity, community kitchen leaders and members, among others. Through intensive training in video production techniques and participatory methods, we facilitated a process that enabled participants to become active producers of their own narratives. This approach generated rich, nuanced data while fostering empathy, solidarity, and reflexivity among community members

The PV process revealed intricate layers of intersectionality present in informal urban contexts, highlighting how diverse identities intersect to shape lived experiences. Our findings show that PV can effectively capture and communicate complex social realities often overlooked in conventional urban planning discourses. Enabling a deeper understanding of communities, the video served as a powerful means for dialogue, building bridges between community members and local governments.

Critically, our research highlights the potential of PV as a transformative tool in urban studies. By amplifying marginalized voices and facilitating their integration into broader urban narratives, the PV process challenges traditional power dynamics in knowledge production and plays a crucial role in formulating more inclusive self-built neighborhood upgrading strategies that consider the multiple social identities and interactions shaping these urban areas. This study complements the growing body of literature on participatory methodologies and intersectional approaches in urban studies, offering insights on how PV can contribute to more inclusive urban policies.