Introduction

The introduction critiques the dominance of state-centric approaches in displacement studies, which often emphasize borders, infrastructure, and national sovereignty – portraying refugees as either threats or passive victims. It calls for a re-theorization of forced displacement by shifting focus to the everyday urban experiences and spatial agency of displaced persons. Building on emerging interdisciplinary work, it argues for a closer integration of refugee studies, urban studies, and memory studies. To advance this approach, the introduction proposes a collaborative ‘walkalong’ ethnographic methodology, expanded through artistic practices such as photography, montage, and drawing. This framework foregrounds refugee agency and highlights how displaced individuals actively reshape urban space, memory, and belonging beyond the limits of nation state narratives.