Source: Thom Bartley Spaces, by their nature, are not neutral or apolitical; they are designed with intention and often at the cost or expense of marginalised communities. As such, we cannot retrofit justice into the built environment. As Jane Jacobs writes on cities, spaces “have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because and only when they are created by everybody”. In 2020, MAIA secured YARD, Birmingham’s first arthouse – a multifunctional space for artists to come and create together. Originally a townhouse in the Port Loop estate, YARD has been reimagined by MAIA through our partnership with Urban Splash. It has been an exercise in how to make a space serve more people than were envisioned in its design.