Feminist Plazas: Co-Creating Gender-Just Public Squares

Feminist Plazas: Co-Creating Gender-Just Public SquaresSeason 2 Episode: 11. Provides models of feminist urban co-creation in Montreal and Montevideo, demonstrating how grassroots movements can transform public space through horizontal partnerships with municipalities.Summary: Examines how feminist movements influenced urban planning to create gender-sensitive squares like Plaza las Pioneras.Connection: Implements horizontal governance where racialized and working-class women have decision-making power through feminist mapping and co-design workshops.Key Takeaways: • Feminist urbanism requires securing the right to the gendered city• Social reproduction and safety must be prioritized over male-centered design• Horizontal partnerships between governments and feminist collectives enable transformative change• Visual storytelling and participatory methods preserve marginalized cultural knowledge• Collective sensemaking allows communities to resist external erasure of their narratives• Traditional knowledge systems maintained through craft and art require protectionKeywords: Visual storytelling, heritage mapping, weaving, participatory research, traditional knowledge.Keywords: Feminist urbanism, public space, Montreal, Montevideo, gender equality, self-management.Source: The creation of feminist urban public squares: The cases of Montreal and Montevideo, Charmain Levy and Sylvie ParéSource: Visual Participatory Storytelling: An Art-Based Creative Mapping of Everyday Weaving Storylines, Meanings and Heritage, Muzeyi Yelyen and Godfred AmankwaaThe Feminist Park is a pioneering intersectional feminist urban initiative that reimagines public green space through the lived experiences of women, migrants, LGBTQI+ people, and racialised communities. Rooted in care ethics, anti-racism, and queer theory, the project challenges the androcentric design of cities by co-creating inclusive, safe, and ecologically regenerative parks. By combining rigorous scientific research with grassroots feminist praxis, the Feminist Park advocates for the right to the city for all bodies,particularly those historically excluded from public space. Learn more and join the movement at www.feminist-park.org.