Placemaking Week

In cities around the world, many public spaces are neither safe nor welcoming for women. Learn how feminist placemaking strategies and women placemakers can help turn that trend around.

Jane Jacobs said, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” As Jacobs, William H. Whyte and other urbanists have observed, the presence of women and children is also an indicator that a public space is safe and welcoming. However, women’s voices are frequently not heard in the planning, design and management of parks, plazas and transit, and consequently, these spaces often cater only to the needs of men.

This interactive workshop will explore the needs and vulnerability of women in the public realm, drawing on the facilitators' experience in North America, Europe and South Asia. The session will culminate in an exercise to identify specific tools and strategies to make public spaces for and by women.