Learn more about my PhD project and engage with the story of decay in Paisley and Renfrewshire!
Welcome
My story
My name is Marlene Zijlstra
I'm a PhD student at the University of the West of Scotland in Paisley, but my journey started in the vibrant streets of Amsterdam. Growing up there, I witnessed my city transform - places I once felt deeply connected to as a child became unfamiliar, even unwelcoming. This sparked my curiosity: how do spaces shape our experiences, emotions, and memories? What makes a place feel like it belongs to us - or that we belong to it?
In 2021, I set out on my PhD journey, originally aiming to explore how we can cultivate a sustainable creative ecology in postindustrial cities. But research has a way of evolving, and so did my focus. Over time, I became captivated by the hidden potential of decaying spaces - abandoned buildings, forgotten structures and neglected corners of the city. These spaces, once symbols of decline, hold an incredible opportunity to be reclaimed, reimagined and revitalised through participatory arts, community engagement and creative interventions.
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This website is a window into my research journey - a space to showcase ideas, discoveries, and inspiration to look at forgotten spaces around you in a new way. Whether you're an artist, researcher, or just someone who loves cities, I hope this platform encourages you to see the unseen and perhaps even take part in reshaping the urban landscape.
Let's discover these spaces - together.
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About the Website
This site is dedicated to showcasing my PhD research titled In search of a Hidden Regenesis: Exploring Spatial and Contextual Understandings of Decay in Post-Industrial Urban Landscapes. My research contributes to the understanding of belonging and agency in urban environments, by taking decaying sites in cities as a starting point and using participatory creative practice as the medium of research.
The website showcases different facets of engagement that have shaped my research. I started my research by creating a project called The Hidden Spaces in Paisley. It consisted of a workshop that I carried out at a community organisation in town. From that initial workshop, I was able to:
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Track my own experiences in engaging with decay in Paisley and speak with many amazing individuals that offer culture in Paisley and have experiences to share about the re-use of decaying spaces in town.
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Create a database containing photos and videos of decaying spaces in Paisley. These are spaces that were found by workshop participants and by myself during cycling trips across Paisley.
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Construct a walking route across different decaying spaces as a potential resource to make decay in town more visible.​
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It is meant to showcase my research journey, make the brilliant array of unused spaces in Paisley more visible, and spur more exploration into the re-use of spaces across Paisley and Renfrewshire. Who knows... You might be encouraged to apply for the re-use of a space or be involved in their future reimagination!