| Sumario: | This visual essay embarks on a reflective exploration of participatory, place-based storytelling through urban photography. Drawing on a curated collection of photos captured by young people from the Grangetown community in Cardiff during their place-based photo walks, we explore how urban places are constantly being made, unmade, and remade, with a particular focus on youth perspectives. The photographs provide a powerful lens through which we investigate themes such as sonder, layered place identities, urban transformation, youthful nostalgia, collective memory, spaces of belonging, adaptable and creative places, cultural vibrancy, corridors of nature, and the rhythms of the city. In this visual essay, we delve into the narratives shared by the youth to reveal the dynamic processes that shape and transform these urban landscapes. We further explore how participatory storytelling can serve as both a method of critical urban analysis and a platform for youth empowerment. The project positions young people not merely as subjects, but as co-creators of urban narratives, contributing to deeper community engagement and place-based agency. Situated within the broader field of participatory visual research, this essay also reflects on the capacity of using photography as a critical, inclusive urban research and engagement method.
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