Why this project is needed
Girls aged between 10 and 23 use public spaces much less than boys. They often feel unsafe or unwelcome there and therefore tend to stay indoors. This can have consequences for their health, social contacts, and well-being.
This insight struck program manager Linda Hooijer from the municipality of Apeldoorn when she heard about it at a conference on child-friendly cities in Flanders. Since there has been little attention for this in the Netherlands, she decided to investigate this further together with researchers Hilde Wierda-Boer and Iris Willemsen from the Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen (HAN). With funding from the province of Gelderland, they started the project Place for Girls. The goal: to find out how public spaces can better meet what girls need to feel welcome and safe.
Framework: Gelderland Outdoor Opportunities
‘Place for Girls’ is part of the Gelderland Outdoor Opportunities project. With this project, we aim to encourage everyone to work together to create a healthy and pleasant living environment in public spaces. Read more about this on the Gelderland Outdoor Opportunities page
Girls as Co-Researchers
Central to this project is the voice of the girls themselves. A total of 70 teenage girls have been interviewed. From this, a group of 11 co-researchers emerged who have since been working on the project. They explore public spaces, identify hotspots and not-spots (not a good place to be), and share in workshops what they think works and what doesnt. They receive a volunteer allowance for this. Researchers Hilde and Iris guide the process. “It is a participatory action research,” explains Hilde. “This means that girls are co-researchers themselves. But professionals from the municipality also actively participate: designers, youth workers, and area managers. This creates mutual understanding and movement.”
Insights and Concrete Steps
During a pitch and match meeting, the girls presented their insights to professionals from municipalities. They indicated how they could apply the girls input in ongoing and future projects. In the coming period, walks will be organized in Apeldoorn where professionals and girls explore locations in public spaces together, such as the Matenpark. The girls input will be included in design plans.
Awareness is also growing among professionals. “People thought they were working from a neutral stance, but that usually turned out not to be the case. It can really be an eye-opener,” explains Hooijer.
More than Design
The project is not only about how a place looks. It is also about who uses it. Girls indicate that they feel safest in places where different groups are present, such as youth, the elderly, and families. A place that is only occupied by one group tends to deter others.
Learning Together, Changing Together
Researchers Iris and Hilde emphasize the learning process, each in their own role. Girls learn to make their voices heard, professionals look at public spaces with different eyes. The project shows that small steps, such as contributing to a residents evening or conducting a neighborhood survey, can make a big difference.
The Next Step
‘Place for Girls’ will continue until the end of 2025. In the autumn of 2025, the results will be compiled. It will also be assessed what the project has delivered for the girls, the professionals, and municipal policy. Other municipalities can join in.