Transcription

*Transcipt was generated automatically, its accuracy may vary.

0:12

Welcome to the Feminist Park podcast.

I'm Kwame.

And I'm Leilani, it's great to be kicking off this journey with you all today.

Yeah, we're diving into work that's really closely tied to the vision behind the Feminist Park project, which was founded by Hussain Stuck.

That project's goal is pretty ambitious, isn't it?

0:28

Imagining these truly equitable public spaces, starting with the idea for an intersectional feminist park right here in Berlin.

Exactly.

And this podcast, well, it's kind of an extension of that.

We're going to be digging into the academic research that, you know, supports and informs that kind of vision.

0:46

We'll be taking these dense, sometimes quite academic papers and really pulling out the core and insights.

And looking at them through specific lenses.

Things like environmental justice, intersectionality, anti colonial thought, queer theory.

All the stuff that helps us think critically about space.

1:03

You know, sometimes you walk through a City Park or maybe a suburban St., and there's this subtle, almost subconscious feeling that something is just well, off.

Yeah, like it wasn't quite built with you in mind maybe.

Exactly.

Maybe that past feels a little too exposed after sunset or the playground, you know, it isn't quite right for different age groups.

1:24

Or maybe just getting to any green space is a real uphill battle if you don't have a car.

All right.

It's like the very fabric of our urban landscape.

The way it's all laid out wasn't really designed thinking about everyone.

So today we're plunging into these these unseen spaces, the invisible assumptions and forces that shape our built environment, and crucially, how we can radically redesign them for, well, true liberation and and real inclusivity.

1:49

And this isn't just about aesthetics, is it?

It's not just making things look nice.

Not at all.

Yeah.

It's about fundamentally reshaping our cities to reflect, you know, basic human rights and foster genuine community for absolutely everyone.

What's?

Truly fascinating, and I think often overlooked, is how for centuries urban planning has operated on these implicit assumptions, Assumptions that actively exclude huge portions of the population.

2:17

Implicit is the keyword there, right?

It's not always obvious.

Exactly.

And these aren't just minor oversights or, you know, accidental emissions.

They are deeply ingrained historical biases that literally affect daily lives.

They limit opportunities, and they really erode A fundamental sense of belonging for so many people.

2:36

So this deep dive isn't merely about identifying those.

Our real mission today is to explore concrete, research backed ways to build environments that genuinely support everyone.

We're talking about transforming urban design into a powerful, tangible tool for social justice.

2:54

Dismantling inequalities that are, well, quite literally, built right into our concrete, our glass, our green spaces.

Precisely.

It's baked right in.

That's such a crucial framing, and it highlights how our mission today goes way beyond just aesthetics.

It's truly about unpacking the foundational inequalities baked into our urban fabric, isn't?

3:13

It absolutely.

So our mission today is to equip you, our listener, with a deeper understanding of how the built environment reflects and often really reinforces societal inequalities.

But maybe more than that, we want to inspire you with some groundbreaking visions for creating truly inclusive, non sexist cities.

3:32

And specifically this powerful concept of a feminist part.

Yes, exactly.

We're pulling insights from 2 incredibly powerful sources and what's fascinating is while they're separated by time and geography, they really speak to a universal truth about design and well, human experience.

So first up, we have a very contemporary perspective.

3:49

It's a 2016 study called Assessing Design Principles of Urban Parks in Iran for promoting women's satisfaction by Ryder Town of Avandi, Fidesi, Mosafar and Swank.

Then we're going to layer that with a real foundational text from 1980.

4:04

What would a non sexist city be like?

Speculations on housing, urban design and human work by the brilliant Dolores Hayden A.

Classic essential reading, really.

Absolutely.

Get ready for some genuine aha moments because I guarantee what you're about to hear will fundamentally change how you look at every park, every street, and maybe even your own home.

4:27

I think it really will.

OK, so to truly understand how our cities can constrain us, let's first dig into how these issues manifest in the more contemporary context.

Let's kick things off with that fascinating 2016 study on urban parts in Iran.

Right.

Riyathi Dhammavandi and her colleagues, they highlight a really crucial point.

4:46

Urban parks, which are absolutely vital for, you know, quality of life, community development, public health, all of that.

Yeah.

They've historically and still largely ignored gender differences in their design and use.

It's almost unbelievable, but true.

In Iranian cities, their research revealed that park design is often subjective.

5:04

It's driven by these conventional sort of top down approaches and it simply neglects women's preferences and their specific needs.

So what does that actually look like on the ground?

What's the impact?

Well, what it leads to in real terms is that women experience decreased satisfaction with these spaces.

5:22

They feel less safe and as a result, there's a diminished presence of women in public parks, which just further marginalizes them from community life.

And this problem, it isn't a recent invention, is it?

It's got deep roots.

The authors make that really clear.

5:38

Did you?

They point out that for centuries, public spaces were overwhelmingly male domains.

Women's activities were largely confined to the private sphere, to the home environment.

Right.

Think about old city squares, marketplaces, even early urban parks.

Exactly.

They were often designed for commerce or political talk or leisure activities that were culturally or socially seen as well appropriate for men.

6:01

And even with huge shifts in gender roles over the last 50 years or so, you know, women entering all spheres of life, this underlying issue of gender biased design, it just persists globally.

It's incredibly stubborn.

It is.

As Marion Roberts noted way back in 1991, the built environment has been mostly designed and constructed by men, and as a result, they completely neglect women's needs and desires.

6:26

That historical context is absolutely critical for understanding why these biases are so deeply embedded in our infrastructure.

It's not just an oversight then, it's like an inherited framework we're still working within.

Precisely, it's the default setting we have to actively push again.

6:41

It really makes you realize how powerful these invisible forces are, doesn't it?

The study that makes a point of placing this within the specific kind of nuanced context of Iranian women.

Right, because context matters hugely.

Definitely, they identify women as a deprived stratum of community and urban context in Iran, facing unique and often compounded challenges and using public spaces.

7:03

And what drives those challenges?

Well, it's largely due to the interplay of prevailing cultural and religious values.

This can manifest in anything from expectations around dress code and public behavior to just a general societal discomfort with women being in public spaces, on escorted, or, you know, engaged in certain activities.

7:23

That's complex.

It is, and this complex web contributes to feelings of what the study calls mental inaccessibility and difficulty in navigation.

So it's not just about, say, a missing bench or a broken path.

It's deeper than that.

Much deeper, it's about a psychological sense of being unwelcome, of potential scrutiny or even just outright unease that keeps women from fully utilizing these vital public spaces and that limits their social and physical mobility.

7:49

Exactly.

So to move beyond just, you know, anecdotal observations and really understand how to address these barriers, the study employed a pretty rigorous approach, didn't it?

It did very methodical.

Yeah, a gender based quantitative analytical approach.

They focused on Sai Park in Tehran, which as you said, isn't just any park, It's one of the city's largest, most important, heavily used urban parks.

8:12

Making a really good case study.

A perfect case study for broad applicability.

Yeah.

The researchers systematically collected data through these comprehensive surveys distributed to female park users.

Then they painstakingly analyze this data using statistical software SPSS, you know, the standard tool for that kind of work.

8:31

And they use something called factor analysis, which is quite an advanced technique.

It lets researchers identify underlying sort of unobserved variables or factors that influence people's responses.

So they're looking for hidden patterns.

Essentially, yes.

8:46

They were looking for patterns and relationships in the women's feedback to pinpoint specific design guidelines that could actually enhance women's satisfaction and crucially, their presence and their feeling of empowerment within these parks.

So very robust, data-driven approach to what feels like a deeply human problem.

9:05

Exactly that.

And the key findings that emerge from this rigorous study are absolutely pivotal for our discussion today.

They offer a really clear road map.

OK, what did they find?

Well, among the 13 diverse factors they examined, participatory design was found to be the single most critical factor for women's satisfaction.

9:21

Wow, that's huge participatory design.

It's a monumental insight.

It means it's not enough for urban planners to just assume what women want, or to simply consult them after the designs are basically done.

Right, like a tick box exercise.

Exactly, women must be involved in the initial design process right from the very first brainstorming sessions as active Co creators.

9:42

It fundamentally flips the script on who has agency in shaping our cities.

It acknowledges that lived experience is actually the most valuable data, doesn't it?

Precisely data that's often overlooked by traditional, often male dominated planning committees.

So following participatory design, the next most important factors, we're designing communal spaces and ensuring physical accessibility.

10:04

OK, so participation, community spaces and access.

That's the core triad we're talking about, is giving women a real voice in shaping their environment.

Environment Creating welcoming and safe places for them to gather and interact, and making sure they can actually get to and move around those spaces easily and comfortably.

10:21

That combination makes sense.

It's not just about being present, but having a real sense of ownership and belonging.

Exactly.

OK, So this Iranian study gives us a really crucial contemporary snapshot of a specific cultural context.

It reveals these profound insights into how design impacts women's use of urban parks.

10:40

But if we connect this to the bigger picture, Dolores Hayden's Seminole 1980 work, What would a non Sexist city be like?

It reveals that these issues aren't isolated or just regional.

Right.

It's a much broader pattern.

It really is.

They are part of a deeply embedded historical and systemic pattern in urban planning globally.

11:00

Hayden's article directly confronts the foundational biases in American urban design decades earlier, but echoing so many of the concerns raised by riots, Dhamma Vandy and her colleagues.

Just from a different historical and cultural viewpoint.

Exactly, which just demonstrates how pervasive these challenges really are.

11:16

That's right.

And Hayden's core problem, her core argument, it's incredibly sharp and frankly, it still resonates so much today.

It really does.

She argues that the principal, and I'm quoting her here, a woman's places in the home has been one of the most important principles of architectural design and urban planning in the United States for the last century.

11:36

Just think about that for a second.

A guiding principle.

Exactly.

This wasn't some explicit law written down somewhere.

It was an implicit yet immensely powerful cultural dogma, and it fundamentally shaped everything from individual house layouts to entire neighborhood structures and city plans.

11:55

Wow.

This invisible principle systematically created dwellings, neighborhoods, and yes, entire cities that physically, socially, and economically constrained women, especially employed women and their families.

It's a powerful indictment, isn't it, how these unconscious societal biases can become literally embedded in our physical world, limiting options and just perpetuating inequality?

12:17

Indeed, And Hayden meticulously traces the historical roots of how this actually came to be.

She argues that the private suburban house became this idealized stage for what she calls the effective sexual division of Labor.

OK, what does she mean by that?

12:33

Well, this model was largely spurred by corporations in the early 20th century.

The idea was quite deliberate.

Create contented workers, meaning men who would return from the factory or the office to the serene, secluded domestic environment, completely separate from the stresses of the workplace.

12:50

A refuge, but only for him.

Essentially, yes.

Lives in turn were expected become home managers tasked with the extensive unpaid labor of household maintenance child rearing, often in isolation away from the social support systems of say, extended family or tight knit urban communities.

13:06

Right, that image of the isolated suburban housewife.

Exactly, and this domestic ideal was then further solidified post World War 2 with the widespread availability of FHA and VA mortgages.

He's heavily favored the construction and purchase of single family homes in these sprawling suburbs.

13:23

So policy reinforced the design.

Absolutely.

This physically engineered landscape ultimately contributed to what Betty Frieden famously called the Feminine Mystique, that profound sense of unfulfillment and isolation experienced by so many women in these seemingly idyllic domestic settings.

13:39

And the impact of this spatially engineered model on employed women, I mean then and now, was and remains profound, Hayden points out.

The conventional homes are just badly suited for employed women.

Why badly?

What's the specific issue?

Because these homes are designed assuming a full time dedicated homemaker is present, they demand extensive private cooking, cleaning, childcare, tasks that often fall disproportionately on women, forcing them to perform this work largely in isolation after their paid work day.

14:09

The infamous second shift.

Precisely.

And adding to this immense burden, residential zoning practices.

You know, those rules that dictate what kinds of buildings can go where?

They actively make it illegal or incredibly difficult to establish shared community services.

Like what kinds of services?

Like affordable high quality daycare centers or communal laundries or even neighborhood kitchens within these residential areas.

14:31

So the very structure of the neighborhood works against sharing the load.

Exactly.

This setup creates A crushing double burden for employed women.

It leads to increased stress, social isolation, and, shockingly, even vulnerability.

Hayden sites Colleen Mcgrath's 1979 finding that domestic violence cases primarily occur in kitchens and bedrooms.

14:51

Wow, that's chilling.

It is, it suggests, A terrifying, often overlooked link between this enforced household isolation and patterns of domestic abuse.

It's that phrase Frieden used, a comfortable concentration camp, but with very real, very dark corners.

15:08

What's particularly powerful is how Hayden just utterly dismantles the idea that these are merely private problems.

You know, things individuals should just figure out how to solve through market solutions.

Right, like just hire help if you can afford it.

Exactly.

She states unequivocally that the logistical problems faced by employed women are not private problems and they do not succumb to market solutions.

15:28

She illustrates how instead of solving the systemic issue commercial solutions like maybe low cost, often low quality commercial daycare, or the explosion of fast food chains, they often create a different kind of problem.

How so?

Well they don't really lighten the burden for the employed woman who can afford them.

15:45

Instead they create low paying, non union jobs without benefits or security for other working women, often from marginalized communities.

So it just shifts the exploitation.

Precisely.

It perpetuates a cycle of exploitation rather than addressing the fundamental structural inequality.

16:02

It's a critical insight individual consumption, buying your way out cannot fix a problem that is baked into our urban design and our economic systems.

So after such a sharp critique, what did she propose?

Hayden doesn't just tear down the existing model, she offers a truly radical, yet incredibly logical vision for change.

16:21

OK, what's the vision?

She proposes a new paradigm of the home, the neighborhood and the city, one that fundamentally integrates housing, essential services and jobs.

Integration being the keyword.

Absolutely.

The goal is transformative to alleviate the immense domestic burden on employed women while simultaneously transforming the economic situation of homemakers by actually valuing their labor.

16:46

So she's not just critiquing, she's actively envisioning what she calls non sexist neighborhoods and non sexist cities.

Exactly.

She offers concrete, detailed ideas for how we might actually build them.

It's a comprehensive call to action baked right into the architectural and urban planning blueprint, pushing for more egalitarian society through spatial design itself.

17:07

It's incredibly ambitious and inspiring.

It really is.

OK, so here's where it gets really interesting, where we start to synthesize these powerful ideas.

Both of these studies, despite being, you know, decades apart and focusing on such different regions, Iran and the United States, they offer incredibly rich insights when we bring them together and look at them through an intersectional lens.

17:26

Right, because these issues don't exist in a vacuum.

They intersect with race, class, ability, sexuality.

Precisely, they highlight how urban design is not just about physical structures, but profoundly about power, access, identity, and ultimately, who gets to truly belong.

17:44

So let's start by diving into the most obvious and foundational connection, the feminist and gender perspective.

OK, from a feminist and gender perspective, the connections are, well, striking and frankly, deeply disturbing.

Rioted Amavani ET AL's study directly addresses the gender differences in the use of these spaces, explicitly noting, as we discussed, that public spaces were occupied mostly by men and women's activities were allocated to home environment and private spaces.

18:09

This historical pattern.

Yes, and it isn't random, it's a direct outcome of deeper societal structures.

The authors explicitly link the problem to patriarchal values ruling on society that consider women as the second gender and define them in relation to men.

A.

Depressingly familiar tune.

18:26

Unfortunately, yes.

It's echoed across cultures and as architectural criticism.

Like Robert's work pointed out, built environments are mostly designed and constructed by men, and as a result, they completely neglect women's needs and desires.

So the very fabric of our cities, the width of a sidewalk, the placement of a street light often embodies this male centric viewpoint, fundamentally disadvantaging women and gender diverse individuals.

18:51

That's the core of it.

And the real world impact on women, as we touched on, is quite stark, A lower use of urban spaces, not just due to physical barriers, but because they feel these spaces are mentally inaccessible and difficult to navigate.

That's psychological aspect again.

19:08

Yeah, coupled with additional cultural and religious barriers in places like Tehran, imagine feeling unwelcome or unsafe in a public park, the very place designed for respite in community.

It defeats the whole purpose.

Exactly.

The solutions proposed by the Iranian study are squarely feminist in their intent, emphasizing the crucial involvement of women in design processes.

19:28

This isn't just token consultation, it's about genuine Co creation.

To increase women's satisfaction, ensure their presence.

Foster a deeper sense of belonging and ultimately promote their social integration, helping them to escape the isolation often associated with traditional restrictive gender roles.

19:46

It's about empowering women not just to exist in these spaces, but to actually flourish within their environment.

Now, turning to Hayden's foundational work, her entire premise is, at its heart, this powerful feminist critique of urban planning in America.

She argues quite convincingly that the pervasive ideal of a woman's places in the home has systematically created a built environment that, rather than supporting women, actively constrains them.

20:13

He really digs into that feminist speak idea.

She does.

She discusses Betty Frieden's work and Peter Feelings concept of a domestic mystique portraying the isolated suburban home, despite its outward appearance of comfort and prosperity, as potentially being, in Frieden's famous words, a comfortable concentration camp for women.

20:31

A place designed for their confinement and, crucially, their unpaid labor.

Exactly.

And Hayden doesn't just describe this profound problem.

She offers a radical vision for challenging this entrenched sexual division of Labor.

Her proposal for Homes, the Homemakers Organization for a more egalitarian society, aims explicitly to quote involve both men, men and women in the unpaid labor associated with housekeeping and childcare on an equal basis.

20:57

And also.

And equally important, to involve both men and women in the paid labor force on an equal basis.

This isn't just about, you know, sharing chores.

It's a direct assault on the patriarchal structures that dictate both private domestic life and public economic participation.

21:13

She's seeking to rewrite the rules from the ground up through community design.

And what makes Hayden's vision even more compelling is that she doesn't just limit her ideas to the American context, does she?

No, she looks internationally.

She points to examples like the Cuban Family code of 1974.

21:28

Which is pretty groundbreaking at the time.

Absolutely.

It was a piece of legislation that, in part attempted to legally manage men's sharing of domestic work, essentially codifying the principle of shared responsibility for household labor and childcare.

Did it work?

Well, she acknowledges the significant challenges in its enforcement.

21:45

You know, the gap between legal intent and lived reality.

But the core intent to shift domestic responsibilities from solely women to a shared burden for both genders is absolutely central to a feminist vision of urban living.

So it demonstrates that the idea of gender equality in the home and public sphere isn't just some abstract ideal, but something societies have actively tried to engineer through policy.

22:10

And by extension, could engineer through design.

It's that powerful president to consider.

It is, and this leads us to a fascinating question.

Thinking beyond the binary, how do these insights extend beyond traditional gender roles?

Right.

While Hayden's work doesn't explicitly use queer theory terminology, I mean it was 1980, it profoundly opens the door for a broader, more non normative understanding of urban space and family structure.

22:34

Also, well, her home's proposal for instance, it explicitly breaks down and challenges conventional, often heteronormative household definitions.

She imagines this 40 household community that could fluidly include, say, 7 single parent parents and their fourteen children alongside 16 two worker couples, 13 one worker couples, and four single residents, some of them displaced homemakers.

23:00

So not just the typical nuclear family.

Not at all.

This is a direct conceptual challenge to the assumption of a traditional nuclear family.

You know, heterosexual couple with kids as the default or the ideal.

It embraces diverse living arrangements, acknowledging that families come in all shapes and sizes.

23:16

And urban spaces should accommodate that reality, not just some narrow societal ideal.

Exactly.

That's a crucial point because it's not just about nuclear families or even just single parents anymore, is it?

No, and Hayden's vision for integrated living extends beyond this.

She mentions projects like the Steel Chute project in Germany.

23:34

This was an innovative public housing development that successfully integrated former mental patients as residents alongside other community members, providing supporting services right within the housing complex.

That suggests a powerful model for breaking down segregation based on identity or circumstance beyond just gender.

23:52

Absolutely.

We can easily extend this concept to include non normative lifestyles, chosen families, or individuals who might traditionally be marginalized.

It's about making the community truly inclusive and supportive for all, regardless of their background or identity.

24:07

It's about designing for human diversity, not just statistical averages or outdated norms.

Precisely, a key goal of Hayden's Holmes proposal is to maximize real choices for households concerning recreation and sociability.

Now this implies creating not just generic spaces, but dynamic environments that can accommodate diverse forms of community relationships and identity expression beyond traditional family units or social norms.

24:32

So fostering environments where different ways of living and loving are not just tolerated, but actively celebrated and supported by the physical layout.

Yes, and Hayden's overarching call to attack the conventional division between public and private space is fundamentally aligned with queer theory, even if she didn't use the term.

24:50

It supports creating spaces where non normative identities and relationships can thrive openly and safely.

Without being pushed into the private realm of invisibility or shame or constant negotiation.

Exactly when public spaces are designed to be truly flexible and welcoming, they become arenas for authentic self-expression and diverse community building for everyone, including LGBTQIA plus people.

25:14

OK, moving beyond gender and identity now, Hayden also brings up critical points about how urban design has historic Berkeley reinforced other forms of segregation, particularly along racial and ethnic lines, and how this intersects with class.

A crucial intersection.

One of the core goals of her home's proposal is to explicitly eliminate residential segregation by class, race and age.

25:36

That's a bold statement, acknowledging the systemic nature of these divides.

It is, and she backs it up.

She does.

She directly points out that, and I quote, white male skilled workers are far more likely to be homeowners than members of minority groups and women long denied equal credit or equal access to housing.

25:55

Which clearly highlights the deep seated systemic racial biases that were, and frankly in many ways still are embedded in housing policies and Urban Development in the US.

These biases have created lasting disparities in wealth accumulation, access to resources, quality of life across racial groups.

26:13

It's undeniable.

And while Riyati Demavandi at all study from Iran focuses primarily on gender, it's designation of women as one of the deprived stratums of community due to cultural and religious values can be directly paralleled with the experiences of racialized or migrant communities in other context, including the US and Europe.

26:31

How so?

Well, these groups often face similar systemic exclusion and deprivation of urban facilities simply due to their identity, whether it's race, ethnicity, or immigration status.

Imagine the challenges faced by recent immigrants trying to navigate a city not designed for their cultural practices.

Or a racialized community whose neighborhood park is underfunded and poorly maintained compared to affluent, often predominantly white areas nearby.

26:55

Exactly.

This underscores the profound need for context specific, intersectional and inclusive design design that accounts for these compounded disadvantages, ensuring that public spaces are genuinely accessible, safe and welcoming to all, not just a privileged few who fit the norm.

27:14

Which brings us neatly to the class and socioeconomic perspective.

Right.

If we connect this to the bigger picture, both articles implicitly and explicitly address how class and economic structures are just inextricably intertwined with the physical design of our cities.

It deeply impacts who has access to quality urban spaces and services.

27:31

Hayden, for instance, critique single family homes grouped in class segregated areas as the dominant and ultimately problematic form of American settlement.

That's suburban sprawl model again.

Exactly.

Often perceived as desirable.

But it wasn't just an aesthetic or personal choice, it was a deeply economic one.

27:49

It intentionally reinforced class divisions by making certain areas exclusive geographically isolating different socio economic groups.

And creating unequal access to amenities and opportunities.

Schools, parks, grocery stores, all of it.

That's a brilliant observation she makes.

28:07

She also describes the private suburban house as the commodity par excellence, a spur for male paid labor and a container for female unpaid labor.

That phrase really hits home.

It illustrates how housing isn't just shelter, it's a powerful economic engine deeply tied into the capitalist system.

28:26

The immense financial pressure to buy and maintain these homes, mortgages, taxes, upkeep, it fuels this relentless cycle where women increasingly enter the paid labor force.

But as Hayden points out, often not primarily out of choice for personal fulfillment, but out of sheer necessity.

28:41

Right to afford the very homes that then constrain their domestic lives and often leave them with that crushing double burden.

It's a vicious cycle where the design of the home itself perpetuates economic inequality and gendered labor.

And as we discussed earlier, Hayden Power briefly highlights how commercial solutions for women's logistical problems, like commercial daycare or fast food, don't actually solve the underlying class problem.

29:05

They just create a new layer of exploitation.

Exactly.

These services often create low paying non union jobs without security for other working women, often from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

It exacerbates class disparities, essentially moving the burden of care from one set of women to another without fundamentally changing the system.

29:24

So her solutions are therefore rooted in deep economic justice.

Absolutely advocating for things like limited equity housing cooperatives.

These are housing models where residents own shares but the resale price is controlled, preventing speculative profits and keeping housing permanently affordable.

29:41

Which directly challenges the speculative market housing that drives up costs and inequality.

Precisely and crucially, she proposes that jobs created within her homes model, like in daycare, food service, home help, should be classified as skilled work rather than as unskilled or semi skilled.

30:01

And offer full benefits.

Yes, full Social Security and health benefits.

This is a direct and necessary challenge to the economic devaluation of care work, a sector predominantly occupied by women, often women of color, frequently from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

It's about transforming undervalued labor into respected, fairly compensated professions.

30:21

And in the Iranian context, Right to Dhamma Vandy at all also touch on this through their core premise of deprivation.

Right, they do.

The studies focus on women as a deprived stratum of community inherently links gender inequality to socioeconomic disadvantage in accessing and benefiting from urban resources.

30:37

Well, maybe not as explicit as Hayden's economic critique.

Right, but it acknowledges that access to quality public spaces is not uniform across society.

They note that say park attracts different groups of people in terms of level of income, education, age and gender, which implicitly suggests that park design must address these varied socioeconomic needs and barriers to access.

30:59

A park that only caters to those with cars or disposable income or the social capital to navigate its systems.

It's not truly equitable.

No, it just reinforces existing class structures by subtly excluding those who don't fit the ideal user profile.

31:15

OK, so beyond social categories like gender, race, or class, our physical abilities or lack thereof are also profoundly impacted by how our environments are built.

This brings us to the crucial ableism and disability justice perspective.

Yes, absolutely vital.

31:30

Right to Dhammavandi ET al.

Study in Iran, while primarily focused on women, actually points to direct accessibility solutions that highlight universal design principles, principles that benefit everyone.

Like what specifically?

They explicitly identify vertical pedestrian access and specifically replacing stairs with ramps, instead of just having stairs as a key factor in women's satisfaction.

31:52

Which might seem like a small detail.

But it's a universal design principle.

It's absolutely beneficial to people using wheelchairs or other mobility aids, parents pushing strollers, delivery workers with heavy carts, elderly individuals, anyone with temporary physical limitations.

32:08

It's about designing for the widest possible range of human abilities from the outset, rather than trying to add accessibility as an afterthought.

Exactly.

The study emphasizes that users of all ages and abilities should be able to easily access all parts of the park directly, linking good access to higher use and improve physical activity levels.

32:27

Which is a vital shift in thinking.

It moves the conversation from merely accommodating disability as a separate issue to proactively designing for universal inclusion, recognizing that variabilities are just a natural, diverse part of the human experience.

And when a space is truly accessible, it invites A broader spectrum of people to participate fully in public life, enriching the entire community.

32:52

And Hayden's vision for the non sexist city also speaks powerfully to this.

Her mention of the Steel Chute project in Germany is quite telling, demonstrating an early model for inclusive design.

Remind us about that.

This project successfully integrated former mental patients as residents into public housing alongside other community members.

33:12

Crucially, they provided supporting services directly within the housing complex.

Which demonstrates a powerful model for inclusive housing for individuals with mental health disabilities, challenging that traditional, often isolating segregation.

Exactly.

It shows that comprehensive, integrated design can truly support diverse needs.

33:30

Furthermore, Hayden's Homes proposal includes that visionary Home Help office providing helpers for the elderly, the sick and employed parents whose children are sick.

Which directly addresses the systemic need for support for people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, the elderly, integrating essential care into the community's infrastructure rather than isolating it within private, overburdened households.

33:52

And on a profoundly practical level, the proposed Dial a Ride service with two vans specifically for the homes, community and the surrounding neighborhood that offers a direct solution for accessible transportation.

Which is absolutely crucial for individuals with mobility challenges who often face huge barriers to movement in our car centric urban environments.

34:13

Barriers that limit their independence, their access to jobs, services, social connection.

So both articles, in their own unique ways, really highlight how design choices, from park pathways to community services, have profound implications for physical access, social support, and ultimately, the freedom of all individuals to participate fully in urban life.

34:32

This is really where all these threads converge, isn't it?

So what does this rich tapestry of insights from the contemporary Iranian park study to Hayden's groundbreaking vision for a non sexist city truly mean for the concept of the feminist park that we're exploring today?

34:49

Yeah.

How does it all come together?

Well, these articles don't just validate its necessity.

I think they lay out a comprehensive, actionable blueprint for its design, its overarching mission, and its potential for profound impact.

And they draw from diverse global context and decades of critical thought.

35:07

It's abundantly clear, then, that both articles unequivocally show that current urban design, whether we're talking parks or housing, is deeply gender biased.

It's inherently exclusive, and it simply fails to serve the diverse, intersectional needs of women and other marginalized groups.

Right.

This inherent systemic failure of conventional planning validates the critical necessity of creating spaces like a feminist park, spaces that explicitly, intentionally prioritize inclusion and equity right from the very outset.

35:35

Talking about some niche idea or a luxury add on?

Here, we're talking about addressing systemic failures that impact daily lives and basic human dignity.

Exactly, and these sources offer concrete foundational principles to inform such a park's design and goals.

35:51

The single most crucial finding from Rayati Dhammavandi at all is the absolute imperative of participatory design.

That came through so strongly.

It really did.

A feminist park must be Co created.

Its design principle should mandate the authentic involvement of women, gender diverse individuals, other stakeholders, the very people who will use the space from the initial concept phase through iterative design right to implementation.

36:16

So what might that look like in practice?

Imagine a series of community workshops, maybe not just passive feedback sessions, but places where diverse women, mothers with strollers, elderly residents, teens, those with disabilities, recent immigrants.

Sit down with designers, maybe using models and drawings to literally shape the pathways.

36:34

Choose the types of seating, decide on the placement of lighting or even childcare areas.

So it's not just collecting feedback after the fact, it's fostering A profound sense of ownership.

Precisely ensuring their needs, desires, safety considerations are truly met.

Moving beyond designers often unconscious assumptions, this approach directly combats the historical exclusion of diverse voices in planning, making the park a true reflection of its community.

37:00

OK, building on that, the critical need for designing communal spaces, also highlighted by the Iranian study, becomes paramount.

A feminist park should intentionally design varied communal gathering spaces, spaces that feel not just safe and secure, but genuinely welcoming and flexible for all.

37:18

Can you give some examples?

Sure, maybe multi generational play areas where kids of various ages and abilities can interact safely.

Shaded seating arrangements thoughtfully placed for comfortable conversation, not just lined up in rows.

Flexible lawns for community events, picnics, informal gatherings.

37:34

And maybe even those private spaces for calm and quiet activities as the study mentioned.

Exactly recognizing the diverse human needs for both sociability and solitude.

This intentional creation of varied inclusive communal zones directly counteracts the isolation highlighted by Hayden.

37:53

It provides vital opportunities for connection, collective care, belonging, fostering a stronger social fabric within the community.

And of course physical accessibility, you said it's non negotiable.

Absolutely not just a feature, it's a core principle.

Universal design must be baked into every single aspect, as riot to Dhamma Vandy at all so clearly emphasized.

38:13

So more than just ramps in citizens.

Oh much more.

Think wide, smooth and non slip pathways is clear, intuitive wayfinding signage, maybe using multiple formats, varied surface textures for sensory stimulation and orientation, accessible play equipment for children with diverse physical and cognitive needs and seamless, well lit links to public transportation hubs.

38:34

It's a comprehensive approach, ensuring the park is truly open and usable to everyone.

Dismantling the physical barriers that the research identifies as profoundly hindering participation and enjoyment for countless individuals.

It's about designing for human diversity, not just for some hypothetical average user.

38:52

Now, Hayden's work, particularly her service house and homes concepts, inspires us to think beyond the traditional boundaries of a park right, urging us to consider reuniting home and work and integrating essential services within or adjacent to these spaces.

39:08

Yes, imagine a feminist park that isn't just about swings and benches, but is seamlessly integrated into a broader feminist community hub.

OK, paint a picture for us.

Maybe the park is directly adjacent to or even architecturally intertwined with community facilities.

Facilities offering high quality, affordable daycare, vibrant community kitchens for shared meal prep or cooking classes, modern communal laundromats, maybe even tool libraries or maker spaces.

39:33

Wow, so picture this.

A parent drops off their child at the integrated daycare, takes a peaceful walk through the park, maybe picks up some greens from a community garden within the park itself.

Then collects their child and perhaps a healthy communal meal from the shared kitchen on the way home.

That fundamentally transforms the park from just a recreational space into a vital integrated community support system.

39:54

Exactly.

Actively alleviating the domestic responsibilities and double burden that Hayden the powerfully critiques as disproportionately falling on women.

It's about designing a full ecosystem of care and support, not just isolated amenities.

And in doing so, such a park directly tackles breaking segregation and challenging stereotypes.

40:13

Absolutely.

A Feminist Park directly challenges the man made world and the class segregated areas that Hayden critiques by explicitly designing for intersectional equity.

Its mission would be to actively eliminate social, economic, racial and age based segregation within its boundaries and its sphere of influence.

40:30

Creating a vibrant model for truly inclusive public space.

Yes, a place where real choices about recreation, sociability, and even daily life are maximized for all, including LGBTQIA plus individuals who often feel unwelcome or unsafe in conventional public spaces, including diverse family structures that defy traditional norms, including marginalized communities who have historically been excluded.

40:56

Such a park becomes a microcosm of the truly egalitarian city Hayden envisioned.

Ultimately, the feminist park, drawing deeply from both these powerful sources inherently works towards challenging the conventional public private divide.

Hayden highlighted how this rigid separation has profoundly constrained women, forcing a central domestic labor and care into isolating private homes largely invisible and undervalued.

41:18

Right, by intentionally offering spaces and ideally adjacent services that support crucial aspects of daily life like child rearing, elder care, community building, shared domestic tasks, the Feminist Park deliberately blurs these artificial boundaries.

For the sake of liberation.

Exactly.

41:34

It makes public space not just safe, but also deeply functional and supportive for activities traditionally relegated to the private sphere.

It fundamentally transforms our relationship with the city and allows for a more integrated, less fragmented and ultimately more equitable existence for everyone.

41:52

OK, So what does this all mean for you, the listener, as you navigate your own urban environments?

How can we take these powerful research backed insights and actually apply them to our own communities, our own cities, maybe even our own backyards?

Yeah, it's one thing to understand the problem, it's another to envision and then actually build the path forward.

42:12

This brings us to a fundamental question then How do we move beyond simply allowing women's presence in public spaces, which let's be honest, is often the best we achieve in many contexts, to actively designing for their full flourishing and that of all marginalized groups, as Hayden envisioned?

What does that practical difference in approach actually look like on the ground?

42:30

It's got to be about proactive, intentional creation rather than just passive permission.

So, for example, the Iranian study highlights participatory design.

Right.

And this isn't just about, you know, a community meeting once in a while where people air grievances.

It means genuinely investing in long term engagement, perhaps forming a permanent Advisory Board made-up of diverse women and gender diverse individuals, giving them real decision making power, real budget oversight, maybe in the early stages of park development or renovation.

43:00

Not just asking for feedback on a nearly finished plan.

Exactly.

It shifts the agents from the expert planner or designer to the user, the person with the lived experience.

Exactly when we talk about integrating participatory design, what concrete, actionable steps can local urban planning boards or, you know, community groups take to genuinely integrate diverse voices, especially those traditionally marginalized, into the very first phases of any new public space development or renovation?

43:27

And how do we move beyond participatory design being just a buzzword on a checklist?

How do we truly ensure that the people who will use these spaces have a hands on authentic role in shaping them?

Could it be through things like design charettes focused on specific demographics?

43:43

Or maybe budget allocation specifically for community LED initiatives within a park project?

Those are great examples, and Hayden's Holmes proposal outlines this comprehensive policy framework alongside the architectural and design changes, showing how fundamentally interconnected these elements are.

44:00

Which raises A crucial point about bridging policy and design.

What are the biggest policy hurdles we face today in creating these integrated, service rich communities around public spaces, and how can citizens effectively advocate for these changes?

44:15

Is it outdated zoning laws that prevent mixed-use developments?

Or maybe the chronic lack of public funding for communal services like child care or elder care.

Understanding these policy bottlenecks is just as important as getting the design principles right.

They have to work together.

44:31

You're on a more local, maybe grassroots level, thinking about Hayden's example of transforming a suburban block.

What are some small scale tangible initiatives you could imagine in your own neighborhood?

Yeah, how could you and your neighbors perhaps reclaim and redesign existing spaces, maybe an underutilized common area, a neglected alleyway, even just a local street corner for greater inclusivity and community support, even without major funding or sweeping policy changes?

44:57

What small spark could ignite a bigger transformation right where you live?

This raises an important, almost philosophical question for us all to ponder.

I think if we truly committed to designing our urban environments and public parks from an intersectional feminist perspective, really prioritizing care, community safety, and equal participation as Hayden and Raya Tadamavandi at all, are just to do.

45:21

What fundamental aspects of our daily lives, our relationships, our profound sense of belonging in the city?

What would undergo the most radical, yet perhaps unseen transformation?

What would really shift deep down?

That's a powerful thought to leave things on.

And that wraps up another deep dive into the hidden layers of our world.

45:38

Today, we peel back the layers of urban planning to see how profoundly our environment shapes our lives, our opportunities, and our sense of self.

And more importantly, we've explored just how much power we collectively have to reshape it for a more liberated future.

Thank you so much for joining us on this essential exploration.

45:55

It's clear, I think, that the non sexist city and the feminist park aren't just theoretical ideals tucked away in academic papers.

They're practical research informed blueprints for more equitable, supportive and truly human centered communities.

The journey begins with critically understanding the existing biases.

46:14

And then daring to imagine, and ultimately daring to build a more liberated future for all of us.

We really encourage you to look at your own surroundings now with fresh, critical eyes.

What stands out to you now after this discussion?

What small changes can you envision or maybe even advocate for in your local parks and neighborhoods Keep?

46:34

Questioning.

Keep learning.

And keep diving deep with us.

This knowledge is a tool really, a tool for seeing your city differently and potentially for helping to change it.

It's been a really insightful deep dive.

I think this document provides such a vital framework, especially for projects like the Feminist Park Project that are trying to build something fundamentally different.

46:54

It shows just how interlinked urban design and social justice are.

It really does, but it also shows the scale of the challenge right?

It requires sustained effort, real commitment and a genuine willingness to shift power dynamics in how cities get made and managed.

Definitely see.

47:10

Think about how we ensure those voices, the ones that have been excluded, are actually heard and centered.

There's another quote from Sarah Ahmed in the Handbook that feels relevant here.

Go on, she says.

If you have to shout to be heard, you are heard as shouting.

47:28

That's powerful.

It makes you ponder, doesn't it?

How can the design of public space itself work differently?

How can it amplify the voices of those who've been historically silenced, ensuring their needs are met without them having to shout just to be noticed?

How can design itself listen?

That's a really provocative thought to end on.

47:45

A lot to think about.

Indeed, thanks for joining us for this deep dive.