Are girls being designed out of public spaces? | LSE Research

Public spaces are made to serve us all, but if the needs and wants of girls and young women are not considered in the process, how inclusive can this space really be? Julia King, colleagues from LSE Cities, and a team of peer researchers have been exploring how public spaces can be made better for girls.
🔴 Read the full article on Research For The World, our social science digital magazine: www.lse.ac.uk/research/resear...
🔴 Read more about the research in this video: www.lse.ac.uk/Cities/research...
🔴 See how our social science research and expertise is helping us tackle some of the most pressing issues facing us today: www.lse.ac.uk/rftw
🔴 More from LSE:
Home ➡️ www.lse.ac.uk/
TikTok ➡️ / lse
Facebook ➡️ / lseps
Instagram ➡️ / londonschoolofeconomics
Twitter ➡️ / lsenews
LinkedIn ➡️ / london-school-of-econo...
#research #urban #design #architecture #LSE #LSEResearchForTheWorld

[@edelgyn2699]

Surely, you'd need to look at whether the 'needs and wants' of girls is transitory and based on societal conditioning? Do males and females have different needs and wants determined solely by their sex/gender? There is a general need to reconsider the design public spaces to take into consideration different groups of people who are currently ignored...

[@aniokay]

Very interesting video :) Love this concept

[@iamtheprogression]

Are there public spaces in Crewe just for males or are females not accessing the spaces? Will creating only females spaces disenfranchise young boys demonising them. England Ladies just won the World Cup, football is a unisex sport my understanding of multi use space is multi use. Can you explain to me what makes an area female only without demonising boys/men is the intrinsic problem some of these themes talked about seemed like esteem issues just because you feel like its not ideal for you does not mean it is not? Why not put Netball pitches next to football pitches. That would be the most equal option increasing uptake and crossover opportunities. Taking away football pitches would have never allowed for the Ladies to win the WorldCup for the 1st time and definitely stop any progression with mens football. Pretty much like how locked tennis courts or pay to play courts have made sure we won't have another Andy Murray. Football is the world's b8ggest sport, netball the largest female uk sport more access to both not removing should be the answer. Less fotball pitches and more large curved benches doesn't seem like the answer

[@edelgyn2699]

Encouraging young women to make a space their own is NOT demonising males. I'm not sure how they will achieve this aim, but I think they are trying to redress the imbalance which occurs currently in our society where teenage boys automatically assume they will have access to dominate public spaces because they are males - social conditioning. By default most public spaces are for males - females are not made to feel confident or safe in public spaces. Women and girls have told us they are intimidated when they are going about their everyday business in public spaces. Some insecure men are triggered into pestering women who are sufficiently confident to use training equipment in public spaces - I've seen it when exercising on bars in parks. Men and boys have to take responsibility to supporting women and girls to enjoy the same freedoms we take for granted. Challenge the scrotes who try to make women and girls feel uncomfortable and stop worrying about being 'demonised' - accept that without us challenging our (collective) behaviour, then half the problem won't be sorted. BTW, I don't think we should suggest to females that they should be playing particular sports such as netball - I'd like to think boys would be encouraged to take up the game if they wished.

[@oggyreidmore]

If you're not into sports or betting, then what do you do in public? Shopping, eating, and talking in a well lit area seems like all they do according to this video. So...benches, street lamps, picnic tables to eat at? Aren't those things already in public? As far as what shops are there, that's determined by market demand. It's not public infrastructure. If you want more clothing stores, OPEN a clothing store yourself. Be sure to add lots of space to loiter and not buy things for girls...see how well your business does with that.

[@mayormccheese6171]

A lot of generalization and sexism in this. It assumes all males want to play football all day and go betting? How ghastly. Don't genderize good taste and design just to advance a narrative.

[@iamtheprogression]

A lot of generalization and sexism veiled as empowerment to support a narrative its rather concerning. The ideas are put forward as progressive and the only alternative while not looking at other factors or options