A liveable city is a city where women also feel at home. Over time, spaces in the city have often been determined from a white, male perspective. The needs or experiences of women and other marginalised groups – such as people from the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, people with a migrant background, homeless people – have therefore received less attention. This one-sided view still shapes our streets, squares and buildings today.

But what if we were to design cities based on care, proximity, encounter and shared responsibility? What would stand out in the experiences of women who move through the city every day, or who avoid certain neighbourhoods? And why is their perspective relevant not only to women, but to everyone?

In the fourth edition of the Liveable City series, Spreken is Goud seeks answers to these questions, together with SAAMO and Endeavour, who launched The Feminine City project in 2022. Discussions with local residents and a diverse group of female volunteers not only provided insight, but also brought about change. Together, they created "Onze Tuin" (Our Garden): not a standard design, but a meeting place for and by women in the reading garden of the Permeke Library, built on their stories and experiences.

From there, they explore what a feminine city might look like in other places: a city that takes feelings and emotions into account, that focuses on care and interaction, that is green and healthy with space for relaxation and exercise, and that is vibrant with activities in which different people can recognise themselves and connect.

The women of “Onze Tuin” talk about this research project they carried out together. The coordinators of The Feminine City, Babette Wyckaert from SAAMO and Karolien Bogaerts from Endeavour, present the results of this project and talk to the initiators of BRAVE MOVE, who recently started a sports programme for girls and young women at the Stuivenberg site, inspired by a similar idea. 

Anouk Torbeyns, editor-in-chief at Stampmedia, will moderate.

With the Liveable City series, Spreken is Goud explores what is happening in the city and how we can work towards a sustainable future for everyone, including in the areas of housing, mobility and inclusive public space. Sustainability is not only about caring for the environment, but also about respecting the rights of every human being: social justice is a necessary condition for the climate transition