RECAP: Meetup De Ruimte van de Vrouw

During the De Ruimte van de Vrouw meetup at OASE Rotterdam, Urbanistas co-organiser Tenesha Caton joined an inspiring panel conversation with other remarkable women as part of Rotterdam’s Year of the Woman. In a safe and open space, we explored what “space” means for women in the city. Whether that’s affordable housing, safety in public spaces, having a voice in decision-making, or simply the freedom to be yourself.

From Urbanistas, we shared perspectives that often emerge within our network and events: feelings of insecurity in public space, especially at night; the lack of public toilets for women; the shortage of visibility and representation in design and decision-making processes; and the way our public (green) spaces are often not designed with women and teenage girls in mind. We emphasized that women must be part of decision-making and the design of our cities, as much of women’s safety and inclusion is directly shaped by the way we plan and build them.

This conversation was a powerful reminder of why we do what we do at Urbanistas: we believe women are still too often left out of shaping our cities. We want to change that by making space, and by taking space.