Addressing societal issues through street interventions in urban environments is a grassroots response to the consequences of more than fifty years of an ongoing and irregular conflict in Colombia. As cities play an increasingly important role in the country, the situation presents an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how to generate social good, enable democratic processes and improving life in the city presents from the bottom-up. Thus, this thesis explores collectively developed

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... ransformative solutions to complex societal challenges through creativity and design. I conducted two sets of studies in South America, containing two smaller studies each. The first group of studies focused on establishing how to approach design research in the context of grassroots organisations in the region: situating design research in South America; and a pilot study in Buenos Aires, Argentina. By using questionnaires and expert interviews I engaged local design research experts to develop a better understanding of the opportunities and constraints of doing design research in the grassroots context in South America. By using focus groups and design workshops I engaged a grassroots organisation in Buenos Aires, Centro de Jóvenes "Viejos Amigos", and a group of professional designers to develop an early understanding of how local grassroots groups operate and about designing with such groups. The second group of studies was situated in Bogota, Colombia. By using focus groups and design workshops, the studies generated an understanding of how two grassroots organisations from the city, Ayara and MAL, operate and use unique methods of engagements that promote building collective capacity from the bottomup through creative collaboration, and, how design can best support their work. This thesis contributes to knowledge in two ways. Firstly, each study contributes to a better understanding of the constraints and opportunities faced by South American grassroots organisations experience that motivates them to address societal issues through street interventions. Secondly, the outcomes of the studies show: i) how design can best support street-focused grassroots organisations, and; ii) how design processes can expand the organisations' capacity to envision innovative solutions to address societal change through street interventions. Further unique contributions to knowledge by this study include the finding that conflicting agendas for the betterment of urban life can be articulated through design processes, and, that the application of design processes and tools can be implemented to expand bottom-up capabilities. Street Interventions for Change: Designing With Grassroots Organisations vii This research delivers an innovative approach for addressing societal issues through design in the context of grassroots organisations. The findings provide strong evidence, and conclusions, about the role that design can take in a post-conflict Colombia as an inclusive yet adversarial process for the articulation of differing worldviews. This has resulted in knowledge that could be applicable to other groups and design research settings through various forms of street interventions. viii Street Interventions for Change: Designing With Grassroots Organisations